Image courtesy of WeWearAustralian, via Matt Gutman and Melba Sharlem
As wildfires continue to spread across Los Angeles County, causing mass devastation and prompting hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate, Aussie organisations We Wear Australian and Thread Together are urging retailers and brands to donate excess stock to help those in need.
“These efforts are coming from We Wear Australian, which is a body and retailer in Western Australia, that is very conducive to getting the industry together. During Covid, they were fantastic in bringing the industry together, supporting retail, and providing sales for businesses. I love what they do!” shared Phoebes Garland, co-founder of fashion management and consultancy agency, Garland & Garland.
“This is in collaboration with Thread Together, which is a not-for-profit that helps the disadvantaged with excess stock from retailers and brands. They’ve come together with this initiative to call on the Australian fashion industry to donate any excess stock and help those in need.”
As for the donations, brands and retailers are asked to donate everyday clothing including footwear, T-shirts, underwear, socks, shorts, and jumpers.
“There are two forty-foot containers that they need to fill, and they really want to get the Australian fashion industry involved in supporting LA and this dreadful tragedy that’s taken place.
“They are looking for basic donations so it’s not necessarily high fashion, these people have lost everything. We’re talking about t-shirts, socks, underwear, jeans, tracksuits, leisurewear, it all has to be brand new, but really anything everyone can wear on a day-to-day basis. They are looking for garments they can wear while these people are trying to get back on track and rebuild their lives.”
Thread Together is partnering with the Assistance League of Los Angeles to undertake this initiative, and are asking for donations as urgently as possible. Thread Together will collect all donations and will have a team on the ground in LA who will pack and redistribute to the community.
For more details on how to donate with Thread Together, click here.
If you’re an individual and you’d like to find out more or help those affected by the wildfires, check out these resources and donation platforms.
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