A day of radical climate optimism with RIISE and 'RUSSH' in Paris

WORDS Cassandra Dimitroff PUBLISHED Thu, 3 Jul 2025 - 2:30 pm

On a golden Paris afternoon high above the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, a group of artists, storytellers, and creative provocateurs communed. Hosted by RIISE in partnership with RUSSH, the gathering took place at La Halle aux Grains, a restaurant that sits like a secret jewel box on the third floor of the iconic building. The setting? Sublime. The energy? Electric. The mission? To explore the limitless power of creativity, and to shift the climate narrative.

Champagne was poured, toasts were made, and the conversation began.

The guest list was a who’s who of creative forcefields: Sara Bell, CEO and founder of RIISE, led the evening alongside Elizabeth Roberts, RIISE’s Head of Brand. They were joined by artist Jedda Daisy Culley, photographer Jess Ruby James, stylist Teanne Vickers, actresses Anna Cocqueral and Joanne Palmaro, chef Ellie Bouhadana, AGMES founder Morgan Lang, artist Ellen Virgona, and stylist Thomas Townsend.

The menu was entirely vegetarian – hyper-local, beautifully considered, and cooked with the grain-centric magic of chefs Michel and Sébastien Bras. And the food didn’t just nourish; it told a story – one that moves against the idea that sustainability can’t also be deliciously indulgent.

As the first course landed, Bell welcomed the room and spoke with passion about RIISE’s mission. She spoke to the collaboration between RIISE and RUSSH as one unified by a belief in the untapped force of human creativity – not just to imagine a better world, but to build it.

She also introduced RIISE’s newly launched Manifesto, a call to arms for climate optimism — a roadmap for solutions: "We believe that optimism and celebrating positive actions, no matter how small, are incredibly important to galvanise our collective ability to have big impact."

What followed was a spirited, soul-stirring conversation about what gives us hope in the time of climate. This wasn’t your average panel talk. This was a union of minds who know that culture changes culture – stylists, filmmakers, photographers, and actors all reflecting on how their work can spark the kind of emotional resonance that drives real-world action.

And of course, there was fashion. RIISE’s Optimist T-Shirt made its debut – simple, sharp, and intentional. Available with black or red embroidery, it's the brand's wearable declaration that optimism is not naïve, in fact, it can be radical. And with 25% of proceeds going to Arizona Muse’s charity DIRT (which works with biodynamic agriculture to create powerful nature-based solution for growing fashion crops), it’s optimism that gets its hands dirty.