On Friday, celebrity stylists Elizabeth Stewart and Jordan Grossman launched the nonprofit Chic Relief during the pandemic — Packing for five personal friends who lost their homes in the fire. The idea is to help them rebuild their wardrobe after losing everything. "We thought, 'You know what? We think we can do this for more people!'" Stewart said.
In the days since, Stewart and Grossman An ambitious effort has been launched to provide clothing and aid to hundreds of families who lost everything in the Los Angeles fires. They are not alone. A growing number of stylists, celebrities, Hollywood executives and creatives have joined in (or are working on their own) to expand the reach of the relief effort.
Jeanne Yang (who has dressed the likes of Keanu Reeves and Taika Waititi) is one of them. "Maybe I have a pair of sneakers or boots from a music video that have been sitting here for years and they will be the only pair of shoes that someone has now," she said. "Clothes may seem insignificant, but you need them to live and feel comfortable."
A number of long-term plans are being developed with a customized approach to appointments to help ease the shock and overwhelm many people are experiencing. Many stylists, including Young, are donating clothing or volunteering to support the Civic Center Drive mega-relief project launched by Ashlee Margolis, founder of brand-building business The A List. These include fashion products and toiletries from over 100 brands. The center, which plans to be open for at least five months, is working with the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation to provide assistance to displaced families and staff.
"Jennifer Lopez was the first celebrity to reach out and sent us the largest number of fashion donations; there will be more today," Margolis said. Mark and Katie Duplass and Lucy Hale were among the volunteers.
"I think stylists are jumping into action because we have the best chance of getting clothes," said Stewart, whose clients include Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Jessica Chastain, Viola David Si and Amanda Seyfried. "We have a large wardrobe that we work with, plus our personal wardrobes, so we're in a unique position to help, and we're all talking to each other. It's not like, 'Oh, these families need socks and underwear Come spend the next two weeks. "We want to start permanently changing their wardrobe and lifting their spirits. The criteria is, 'Would I give this to my best friend?' "That's how it started."
Stewart said Google has a detailed Chic Relief registry for people in need that has been expanded to friends of friends, such as "teachers and single moms in Pasadena and Altadena who have nothing." , Stewart said the organization is now assisting 220 families. On Friday, January 17, the families will be able to receive customized items in suitcases donated by Ricardo, Herschel and BÉIS. Brands such as Tory Burch, Hugo Boss and Cult Gaia responded to the call for product donations. While this week’s event is at capacity, the team will continue to compile and deliver care packages while coordinating with other area nonprofits to obtain and deliver needed items.
Stylists joining the Chic Relief campaign include Wendi and Nicole (Miles Teller, Seth Rogen, Nicholas Hoult) who donated men’s suits; Jamie Mizrahi (Adele, Mackie Madison, Jennifer Lawrence) from her personal inventory to pull out; Lauren Jeworski (film editors Jennifer Lame, Nina Dobrev) teamed up with friends in Santa Barbara to purchase a line of baby and children's clothing. Chris Holland (Charlie XCX, Christina Aguilera) and Tabitha Sanchez (Olivia Holt, Hannah Boehner) have been volunteering.
Maury Di Mauro, vice president of Innovative Artists (Seyfried's brand endorsement agent) personally purchased all the bins used to sort the items and has been handing out a sign-up link to purchase wish list items for the home on Amazon. Wishlab talent manager Troy Nankin sent "beautiful suits from his personal closet," Stewart said, while photographer Robert Trachtenberg visited Palm Springs with his husband of a shopping mall to purchase items for the cause.
"I have a friend who went to the mall with her husband and they just started crying. They couldn't handle it and didn't even know where to start," Stewart said. Grossman interjected: "A lawyer in Palisades needs a lawsuit because she lost everything and she's in court every day so she doesn't have time to get anything."
Ilaria Urbinati (whose clients include Dwayne Johnson, Barry Keoghan, Ryan Reynolds, Rami Malek, Donald Glover and Chris Evans, as well as Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, who lost their Palisades home to the fire) also started by emptying out her own closet and continued Reply to a private message on Instagram. She claims to have helped more than 60 families so far, distributing more than 200 pairs of men's shoes as well as ready-made clothes racks and suitcases.
"A person I know lost her home; it was her first home and it had everything she owned, and she didn't have money like some of the other big stars," Urbinati told THR. "So I gave her clothes, furniture, shoes, bags, makeup, beauty products, everything. We can't help everyone, but everyone can help at least one person."
Urbinati was particularly moved when she turned to John Varvatos for help because he was a penniless man who was a fan of the brand and had lost everything. The company immediately offered him a free shopping spree at their store. "He cried three times with joy!" she said, adding that she had compiled a list of "firefighting resources" in Instagram highlights. "Another guy needed a set of work clothes, so we bought him three. Someone wanted casual clothes, so we sent jeans, T-shirts and sneakers."
Expanding Urbinati's project are her friends, Los Angeles-based fashion and fine art photographers Mario Kroes and Shaye Babb, whose clients include Fashion and LVMH. "Ilaria gave me a lot of clothes and that's how it all started; I thought people wouldn't want to sift through piles of clothes after losing everything, so we wanted to provide a service for them," Cross said. He initially helped the parents of his best friend, Travis, who had lost his Altadena home of 40 years. . Funds raised through the "Supporting Shaye and Mario's Hands-on Relief Efforts" GoFundMe supports basic items like masks, water, fire extinguishers, grocery gift cards, and IKEA shopping bags to pack items for families, including donations from stylist Sandra Amador (Lady Gaga) and others fashion, Sigourney Weaver). Volunteers include Lisa Rinna, Veronica Dash, directors Andrew Sandler and Jason Bergh.
Young and Jessica Pastor (Miranda Kerr, Emily Blunt) revealed they were texting with stylists, including Urbinati and duo Rob Zangardi and Marie El Hahn (Jennifer Lopez, Kerry Washington, Gwen Stefani). The group compiles information to spread the word about donations.
“We’re all giving everything we can to the people we can give it to,” Pastor said.
Yang sees the fashion community's solidarity as a silver lining to this widespread disaster: "I was overwhelmed by how people immediately came together and wanted to help," she said. "It's not just stylists, it's a huge amount of designers who don't get any media attention, which is unbelievable. So I feel an incredible sense of hope."
However, the road has not been smooth. "It was very sad to see my friend Chris Tragos show up at my house in his three-day pajamas and a pair of socks he received for free from Arlo, covered in blood," Young recalled. Because he was at his father's house and the shoes were two sizes too small. He was so stunned that he didn't even realize it. We washed and bandaged his feet. His mother-in-law also lost her house. She was a 75-year-old lawyer and she was in the office, so she literally had nothing. I put together several bags of clothes. Not long after, he sent me a text saying, "Things are just things - but when you lose all the clothes you love to wear, it takes away some of your identity." I know this may seem silly. Or trivial, but clothes have memories. Your clothes are part of you. "
To make a brand donation to Chic Relief, please email donateclothingLA@gmail.com; donate on the website or email help@chic-relief.com. If you need help with A List efforts, please contact firerelief@thealist.us