It’s so easy to get caught up in our day to day rituals. School, work, schoolwork, spending time with friends, exercise…the list can go on and on. It’s easy to take a lot for granted when our minds are constantly in the process of figuring out what to do next; the same can be said for fashion, personal style and philanthropy. This is a big claim, yet an important one, and it’s a mindset the industry is critically lacking. Personally, I become so focused on what to wear, what shows have shown at Fashion Week and what other fashion bloggers are posting that I forget something ridiculously important: fashion is a privilege.
Take a second and let that sink in. The dresses we are drenched in, the Jeffrey Campbell’s we lust over, the vegan leather jacket we’re saving up for…they’re all extraneous needs. I know from experience that I forget that I have more than enough, and some don’t even have enough to get by. I complain about not having enough to buy $200 Deandri’s but there are people out there who don’t even have shoes to begin with.
It is up to those with more than enough to give back, and even more importantly, to use our passions and our love, to give back! No, you don’t have to go donate everything in your closet to give back and make a difference to someone (although next time you’re tempted to sell your clothes, donating may be a nifty option). Instead, try buying from retailers who help empower the ones making their products or try buying from retailers who donate something for each piece purchased!
Currently collaborating with Target, Feed is an amazing brand that helps, you guessed it, feed children through purchase of their products. Started by Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson, Feed has helped give over 59 million meals to those who need it most. Want a trendy red bike? It gives 320 meals.
Warby Parker is the hip, optical, older brother of Tom’s. Warby Parker started because its four founders saw a lack of affordable, chic choices for eyeglasses; and they also saw that not enough people had access to glasses in the first place. For every pair of lenses that Warby Parker sells, they donate a pair. At prices starting at just $95, how could you resist?
Kiva.org is my site of choice. Kiva is an amazing resource for anyone who wants to help make a difference but doesn’t have a lot to spend. Specializing in mirco loans, kiva allows you to choose who to lend your money to; whether its someone who’s starting a clothing store in Colombia or starting a market in India, you can donate however much you want to help this person reach their goal, and then you get it paid back! You can use the money you were given back to donate to someone else, and then someone else; it goes on and on. With over 500 million dollars in loans, this site is proof that a little help goes a long way.
Whatever you can do makes a difference.
Namaste,
Gabriela Lorraine