As we continue to watch the devastating aftermath of a deadly earthquake that pulverized Haiti last week, fashion and shopping, some might say, should be the last thoughts on anyone’s mind. But amid the many rescue organizations collecting donations to help with the catastrophe in Haiti, a number of brands and stores are contributing portions of their sales to the relief effort.
Without question, the most effective way to help is by donating money directly to rescue organizations such as the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org). So if you must go shopping, why not buy from venues that are doing the same?
Resurrection, a Los Angeles boutique renowned for its compilation of collectible and historic clothing, is having an in-store and online retail sale through Jan. 31 that slashes 70 percent off vintage items and donates 10 percent of all sale proceeds to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund. That may not sound like much, but this isn’t your average vintage store. At Resurrection (and online at www.resurrectionvintage.com) you can find one-of-a-kind accessories and clothing by Chanel, Alaia, Yves Saint Laurent, Pucci and Versace, among many other designers, at fractions of their original prices. The garments are all in like-new condition and chances are you won’t find them anywhere else.
On Sunday, independent jewelry designer Camille Peace of PeaceImages will donate 25 percent of this week’s total sales from her online jewelry store (www.peaceimages.etsy.com) to the Yele Organization, founded by Haitian musician Wyclef Jean. Peace offers a wide variety of affordable pieces ranging from $28 to $180, and her work has a notable flair of creativity. She puts a spin on traditional matching earrings, bracelets and necklaces by combining them to craft pieces like the hand chains (pictured on page B4), a two-finger ring connected by various chains, all sterling silver. Most of the pieces are custom made to size, and the chains, for example, can be made shorter or longer.
“I felt a responsibility to help,” Peace said in an interview with The Malibu Times this week. “Everyday I am blessed with the chance to create and to share my gifts with the world. That makes me a very wealthy person. It felt wrong not to do something.”
If you’re shopping for perfume, check out Bond No. 9’s “The Scent of Peace,” available at Saks Fifth Avenue department stores nationwide. For men and women alike, the fragrance is a mélange of sparkling florals and citruses with hints of grapefruit, black currant, lily of the valley and musk. Until Feb. 14, 10 percent of the proceeds from the sale of “The Scent of Peace” ($210 for 100ml; $150 for 50ml) will go to the American Red Cross to assist the communities impacted by the earthquake in Haiti and provide urgent relief.
For those who wish to donate footwear, the charity Soles4Souls has established stations for the public to drop off gently worn shoes at all Sports Chalet locations through Jan. 31. The shoes will then be shipped to the most affected areas of Haiti. Soles4 Souls is committing 250,000 pairs of shoes from U.S. shoe brands and storeowners, including Vans shoes, which is donating 30 containers filled with 10,000 pairs of work boots, rain boots and children’s shoes to earthquake survivors.
Many living in Malibu well know the fear and threat of natural disasters-particularly wildfires-though the death toll and damage that has resulted from past local blazes, floods and earthquakes cannot compare to the horrific repercussions of the earthquake in Haiti. So, in addition to our direct monetary donations to rescue organizations, it sure doesn’t hurt to make purchases of material possessions that will serve the same purpose.