Fashion brands step in with deals designed to benefit victims of recent wildfires and gun violence
The aftermath of the devastating California wildfires and a shooting in Thousand Oaks looms heavy and somber over the West Coast community.
The Camp fire in Northern California’s Butte County has left 81 people dead and destroyed more than 17,000 structures (to date). It’s California’s deadliest and most destructive fire. The Woolsey fire scorched parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including Malibu, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks, the last of which was doubly struck by tragedy when a gunman killed 12 at the Borderline Bar and Grill on Nov. 7.
In the midst of these national tragedies, many fashion and lifestyle brands have stepped up to pledge support for affected communities. Below are a few of the ways you can stylishly support the recent wildfire victims, firefighters, local victims of gun violence and the organizations working to end gun violence.
Toms
Monday night on the “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Toms Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie announced the launch of a new campaign aimed at helping end the gun violence epidemic in America. Mycoskie said, “We are evolving our giving model, so Toms not only will continue to give shoes, but we will give considerable resources to the causes and the most important issues of our time.” Toms will kick off “End Gun Violence Together” with a $5 million dollar donation to a coalition of organizations working to eradicate the issue. According to Mycoskie, this donation marks the largest public corporate donation toward stopping gun violence in America’s history. Today Toms is releasing an End Gun Violence Together White Short Sleeve Crew Tee ($27.95) at Toms.com. Mycoskie passionately issued a call to action by encouraging Americans to make their voices heard. Toms has made it possible via its website to allow every visitor the chance to send a postcard to their member of Congress urging them to pass universal background checks.
Hood Hat
A luxury baseball cap brand that pays homage to iconic neighborhoods across the United States, Hood Hat, is honoring SoCal firefighters amid the recent wildfires. The brand is donating 50% of profits from its Calabasas and Hidden Hills hats to the corresponding fire stations. The Los Angeles-based creator and designer for Hood Hat, Max Nelson, is paying it forward to the brave SoCal firefighters because — let’s face it — sharing is caring. The hats are priced at $49 and available at hoodhat.com.
James Perse
James Perse has designed two California Relief Tees to raise money to support those affected by the Woolsey fires. The company is donating 100% of profits from the sale of the T-shirts to nonprofit organizations, including California Fire Foundation and Direct Relief. “To personally experience the devastation of the Woolsey fires has defined for me what a community truly means — our love for all life, friends, animals and our environment … Please help me support the families and victims of all the tragic events that our beloved state of California has endured,” wrote the brand’s namesake founder (himself a Malibu resident) in announcing the charity tee program. The Woolsey Fire Relief Tee and Thousand Oaks Relief Tee are available at JamesPerse.com for pre-order. Those who wish to donate to the cause will have the option of purchasing one of the tees for $125, $250, $500 or $1,000.
Kaufmann Mercantile and AHALife
Starting today, lifestyle and home goods e-commerce site known for its curated mix of stylish products from across the globe, Kaufmann Mercantile and its sister company AHAlife is taking 20% off prices site-wide with the code KARMA, and donating $5 from every purchase to the California Fire Foundation to help victims of wildfires in California. The #GoodKarmaSale goes above and beyond the traditional Black Friday sale by giving back to a meaningful cause, and shows that perhaps spreading good cheer is the best holiday gift one can give.
Lakers store
During a pregame moment of silence before their Nov. 11 home matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers wore black T-shirts with a single word written in all-caps across the front, “Enough.” These shirts were worn in honor of the victims of the Thousand Oaks shooting and to raise awareness about gun violence. The T-shirts are currently available for purchase with 100% of the proceeds going to the families of the victims of the Thousand Oaks tragedy through the Ventura County Community Foundation. The Los Angeles Lakers Enough T-Shirt is priced at $19.99 and available online at lakersstore.com.
Heidi Merrick
The Los Angeles-based designer known for her clean and minimalist approach to California-centric style is currently donating 20% of all SRF collection proceeds toward fire relief and helping the victims of the wildfires. The SRF collection offers unisex cotton sweatshirts and T-shirts with “SRF LA” and more options emblazoned across the front. Prices range from $64to $135, available at heidimerrick.com.
100% Pure
Natural beauty brand 100% Pure is donating 100% of proceeds from a special edition Wildfire Relief skincare set that includes four skincare products: Coconut Oil Cleansing Milk, Deep Hydration Sheet Mask, Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Serum and Argan Oil. The $120 Wildfire Relief Set can be purchased online at 100percentpure.com. The funds raised will go toward helping animals that have been injured or displaced by California wildfires, and beneficiary organizations include North Valley Animal Disaster Group, Mad Dog Rescue and Marin Humane. This seems like a purely positive way to nurture your skin and the SoCal animal community.
Alice + Olivia
Whimsical contemporary clothing company Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet is supporting The Entertainment Industry Foundation’s fire relief fund and California first responders. Their mission is to equip every firefighter with a hydration backpack, which carries three quarts of water. Each one costs $275, and more than 3,000 are needed. People can contribute online at aliceandolivia.com.
