As the fires devastating Los Angeles continued into their fourth day on Jan. 10, the fashion and beauty industries have shifted their focus to relief efforts.
Stylish boutiques have transformed into donation centres and Los Angeles-headquartered brands’ social media feeds are full of lists of disaster relief organisations amid deadly fires that are already among the most destructive in the state’s history. Businesses have been closed not just in evacuation zones and fire-damaged areas, but across the city as employees and their family members remain affected through destroyed property, evacuations, school closures, poor air quality and the looming risk of new fires.
Business disruption is widespread. LA-based fashion label Clare V. closed not only its store in the Brentwood Country Mart shopping centre, which sits near the Palisades Fire evacuation border, but all its shops across the city. Veronica Beard, which has a store in the Palisades Village mall that is now surrounded by destruction, has also closed its Melrose and Beverly Hills stores and donated to the Red Cross. Warehouses, e-commerce and corporate operations are also being halted by local businesses. Fashion brand Donni closed its warehouse and paused e-commerce shipments, while Dôen closed both its location in the Brentwood Country Mart and its corporate office.
Special events are also on hiatus until further notice — Rare Beauty canceled an LA-based pop-up it had scheduled with Complex, and its nonprofit organisation Rare Global announced that it will be donating to the Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Brands and retailers are turning their physical spaces into donation drop-off or pick-up centres. Fashion label Bricks and Wood turned its store into a donation centre for essential items while also donating its own clothing, as has streetwear boutique Brain Dead. Beauty brand Noto Botanics announced on Instagram that its Highland Park store is closed for business and is instead functioning as a donation drop-off, while Credo Beauty announced that it will be distributing care packages from its stores when employees are able to return. Other fashion labels donating clothing include activewear brand Set Active, sweats seller Madhappy, basics label Lady White Co., makeup label ColourPop and bag brand Stoney Clover Lane, just to name a few.
Founders affected by the fire have been jumping in to help with relief efforts: Tower 28 founder Amy Liu posted that she is organising donations from a group of brands including Everlane, Osea and American Vintage after being evacuated from her Pacific Palisades neighbourhood where most of her neighbours’ homes were destroyed. Similarly, denim labels Citizens of Humanity and Agolde are organising a public pickup area at their headquarters for those who have lost their homes, offering over 3,800 clothing items through the next week.
“There is an emotional effect on everyone across the city. There is a sense of vulnerability, sadness, from loss just across the street and hope that the days ahead are an opportunity for community and coming together,” said Citizens of Humanity CEO Amy Williams.
Among over 9,000 structures damaged or destroyed are the homes of Jen Atkin, founder of hair-care label Ouai, Hope Smith, founder of beauty brand Mutha, celebrity hair stylist Jenny Cho and Marta Freedman, the founder of gifting suite Air Milkshake. Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, who oversees the star’s hair care brand Cécred, as well as musician and wellness brand founder Jhené Aiko, also lost their homes in the fire.
Companies large and small across the US are also starting to announce donations to relief efforts. Estée Lauder Companies said it is donating to the American Red Cross and California Fire Foundation Wildlife and Disaster Relief Fund, as did Michael Kors, while LoveShackFancy has donated to the LAFD. Glow Recipe will be donating $100,000 of essential skincare products to those affected and Tarte is donating 100 percent of net proceeds from its online sales from Jan. 8 to 11 to World Central Kitchen. New York-based independent brands such as fashion label Collina Strada and body-care brand Nopalera are also donating products.
A Palisades Village spokesperson confirmed that the shopping centre “has sustained damage but remains standing.” However, denim brand Mother’s first brick-and-mortar store, which was set to open in the luxury shopping centre later this month, was lost in the fire. Fashion brand La DoubleJ also saw its not-yet-opened store in the Pacific Palisades destroyed, according to an Instagram post by its designer J.J. Martin. Stores still standing include Cult Gaia, Anine Bing and Favorite Daughter, the brands confirmed.
“Yes, our store in the Palisades is still standing. But considering almost the entire community has lost their homes and businesses, this is nothing to celebrate,” wrote Favorite Daughter co-founder Sara Foster on Instagram.
