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Aurora James
Will talk to me ABC Tuesday they took his daughter. She's coming home alive. Will Trent the series critics are calling.
Lauren Sherman
Powerful Must See TV continues to thrill.
Aurora James
Shouldn't we strategize before we go in there?
Lauren Sherman
If we screw up this case, a.
Aurora James
Cop killer walks free with the riveting.
Lauren Sherman
Conclusion to a two part season premiere. GBI Help Me get down will tread all new Tuesday on ABC and stream on Hulu Foreign. Welcome to Fashion People. I'm Lauren Sherman, writer of Puck's Fashion and Beauty Memo Line Sheet. And today with me on the show is Aurora James, founder of Brother Vellies, founder of the 15% pledge, founder of the investment firm Parity Collective, and vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Phew. She's here today to talk about what the 15% pledge is doing to support black owned businesses affected by the Los Angeles fires, what all fashion brands can do to support those in peril, and so much more. Before we get going, I wanted to remind you that if you like this podcast, you'll definitely love Puck, where I send an email called Line Sheet. If you're a fashion person, you get that reference. It's an original look at what's really going on inside the fashion and beauty industries. Line Sheet is scoopy, analytical and above all, fun. Along with me, a subscription to Puck gains you access to an unmatched roster of experts reporting on powerful people and companies in entertainment, media, sports, politics, finance, the art world and much more. If you're interested, listeners of Fashion People get a discount. Just go to Puck News Fashion People to join Puck or start a free trial. Hi everyone. Happy Friday. I'm still in Los Angeles just taking things day by day. This was a busy week. Online chic. I broke some Proenza news on Monday about their move to Loewe as the creative directors and also canceling the Pronza Schooler show in New York. And then by Wednesday WWD had announced that they were actually stepping down from their label Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCullough will no longer be the creative directors of Parenzo Schooler. But more on that from me in the email. Plus, Sarah Shapiro had a great interview with Hillhouse Home founder Nell Diamond. Big fan, really interested in that business. Sarah did a great job. And Rachel Strugatz dug into Charlotte Tilbury's dupes war. You can't miss that one. Plus, on Thursday, for inner circle members only, I wrote about how fashion is grappling with the fires as stars pull back from attending Runway shows this upcoming. This is just one example of the imbalance of power between fashion and Hollywood right now, and I get deep into that, so don't miss it. And let's get going with Aurora. There's a lot of pertinent information here and also just kind of taking a temperature check on how brands are reacting to what's happening here, how companies that are based here are reacting. And Aurora is really knowledgeable and has a lot to say. So we actually had recorded this previously and had to rerecord to make it more about the fires and how the 15% pledges helping. So you'll learn all about that and more coming up. Aurora James, welcome back to Fashion People.
Aurora James
Oh, my gosh. Thank you for having me.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, it's technically your first. We're going to scrap. We recorded last week in anticipation of the 15% pledge gala in early February, and we were going to run it the Friday before. But everything that happened, we, we spoke on Tuesday, January 7th, I believe. Yeah. And in the afternoon. And it was just as like the notion of the fires was starting to in the news or whatever. We were starting to learn about it. And it didn't feel, I was working from my office. You were at your house. Didn't feel like anything more than a typical, you know, the typical fires that happen in Los Angeles. But then everything changed. So you run three different companies. You run your shoe company, Brother Valleys. You are the founder of 15% pledge. 15% pledge. And then you were also the vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. So in the hours after we spoke, like, what did your life look like and. And how did your stuff you were working on for all three of those businesses change?
Aurora James
Yeah, I mean, you know, I also work on a fourth, which is Parity Collective, which is a private equity fund, but I think it's really impacted all sectors totally differently. Right after you and I spoke, I checked in on a friend and, you know, the feedback was like, oh, my gosh, I think I'm about to lose my house, which is usually not the feedback. When you hear about fires in L. A, Right, you think of a very specific area in Malibu that's, like, always at risk, quote, unquote, you know? Yeah. And obviously this time we've seen that this is, you know, one of the largest catastrophes in the history of America, which I think is, you know, absolutely devastating. I think the question for me, you know, as someone who does a lot of work in. In nonprofit and advocacy, is like, what's the best step moving forward? You know, and for anyone that's listening, that doesn't know, you know, the 15% pledge normally has, like, our biggest fundraiser on the first Saturday of February. We really kick off Black History Month. Our whole thing is about supporting small business in America, specifically founders of color. And I think, to be honest with you, Lauren, like, all that I wanted to do this past weekend when I was evacuated was like, cancel everything. You know, I'm like, I don't want to do this. Like, I feel tired. I'm exhausted. People are losing everything. Like, the last thing I want to do is, like, plan an event, you know, And I was, like, hauled up in a tiny room with my dogs. And, you know, like, then I started thinking about all of our vendors. Some of our vendors started outreaching to us. We just started getting a crazy amount of inbound, you know, because, listen, like, it's a big event. We take over the backlot of Paramount Studios for the entire weekend. There's hundreds of small businesses that are involved, right? And then we started to understand, like, even our florist, who we work with all the time, who's this, like, incredible, you know, black artists. She's based in Altadena, Right. And it's like, there's absolutely, like, no way that I can cancel on all of these vendors at this point. Right? And it was so fascinating because everyone that was calling me over the weekend that was from New York was like, oh, my God, like, you have to cancel it. You know, and they're, like, sitting, like, in their, like, SoHo loft, you know, and everyone in LA was like, wait, like, we actually need the work. We need to rebuild. Like, we need to keep going. We need to resume business as usual. We need help, but we need to keep going. So I think for me, it was like, okay, what, first of all, like, do we have the capacity to keep going? And what does that look like? You know? And then how can we be of service in this situation? So first thing we started doing was just, like, reaching out to black owned Businesses reaching out to other businesses that were impacted and realizing, okay, we need to pivot so that 100% of our ticket sales for the weekend can actually go to businesses that are impacted. And then we need to be working with them on like go forward business plans and assessing how much money do they need. Right. Did they lose all their inventory? Do they have an insurance adjuster? We need to get insurance adjusters on this. Like, we need to do actual real life tactical support. And the last thing we need to be doing at this moment is like abandoning the people of LA that work on this event. And we need to also be creating outsized opportunities for the rest of the public to actually help and support.
Lauren Sherman
So let's rewind for one minute and a lot of people that are listening to this are going to know who you are and know a lot about 15 pledge. But can you kind of break down the purpose of the pledge, what you've done with it and what this gala's original purpose was? And then let's get into what the purpose has become and how you're. You're structuring that.
Aurora James
Yeah, sure. So I am an accessories designer. I have a brand called Brother Bellies. We work with artisans mostly across Africa and the diaspora. And I started it in 2013. You know, I consider it to be fairly successful, but I think I've always had like a yen sort of for working with different groups of people who've been historically excluded. And when Mr. Floyd was murdered, I started getting a lot of calls and texts from people who, you know, were looking for ways to support, you know, the black community. And, and a lot of those were major retailers. And I said, you know, I think everyone needs to do what they do best in service of those who have been historically excluded. And so I launched a call to action on my social media like an hour after I had the idea. And I said major retailers should commit 15% of their shelf space to black owned businesses. And 10 days later we had our very first corporation sign up, which was Sephora. And you know, very quickly after that we signed 29 businesses. So everyone from Macy's to Nordstrom, which, you know, signed a 10 year contract that was signed by Pete Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, like kind of, you name it, you know, and we just really try to do the work of helping people gain access and opportunity. We put over 800 black owned brands onto the shelves of our partners. If you walk into a Sephora store now, it's totally different than it was in 2019. And we support a number of different founders. And there's I think 10,000 in our business equity community right now, which is crazy. And we help them partner with all kinds of different people just to make sure that they're getting the support that they need. And I think for me, Lauren, like, I've always been such a huge fan of small business, you know, because I understand the impact that that can have. And I think in 2020 it was just about. Okay, look, because of the pandemic, all of these small businesses are closing. Actually, 44% of black owned businesses were projected to close, which was more than double the national average. And I know that black communities are largely supported by black entrepreneurs in their neighborhood. So it's really important for the health of the entire country that we really make sure that these businesses get the help that they need. And so that's really what the 15% pledge is all about.
Lauren Sherman
And the private equity firm that you're. Are you a partner in it or are you. It's. It's part of a larger firm, correct?
Aurora James
Yeah, it's part of a larger firm called bmg. And what we did is we created something really special together, which is called Parity Collective. And it's where we can actually do earlier stage investments than they would ever normally do into founders that really make sense that I have gained relationships with or whatever because of the work of a 15% pledge. And really make sure that we're giving those businesses all the support that they need. So, you know, people like Danessa, Myricks, people like a ghetto gastro. And it's been really incredible. And I think for me, Lauren, like so much of this work, whether it's working with the Sephora or whether it's working on parody, Collective is proving out the thesis that like diversity isn't just like a cute thing to do in 2020. It's actually just a really smart business decision. Because I know for me in anything that I'm working on, I am going to do a better job if I have a diverse thinking in the room because I'm just not going to think of all the angles. Right. So that's really sort of the approach and we really focus on working with partners across anything that I do that think in the same way, I think.
Lauren Sherman
A big reason we've known each other for a long time, I think definitely over 10 years, maybe even 15 at this point. And one of the reasons you are so effective at what you do is because it isn't marketing. And we're seeing a lot of DEI programs get taken away now. And that's very complex and ill thought out. But a big reason for that is because the people who built those programs in many cases or funded those programs are thinking about it from a marketing perspective and not from a like business building blocks perspective. And you really think of things as foundational. So the gala, which is happening February 3rd.
Aurora James
Correct, February 1st.
Lauren Sherman
February 1st. And that's a, that's a Monday or Sunday.
Aurora James
It's a Saturday.
Lauren Sherman
Saturday.
Aurora James
Sorry, you know, all turned around right now.
Lauren Sherman
You know, it's a Saturday. So it's Saturday, February 1st. That whole weekend your original plan was you were going to do the gala. People pay to go to the gala. You raise money for this fund that is supporting all these black owned businesses. And then you were also planning on doing an entire sort of festival slash market so people could shop the goods, consumers could come and shop the goods the whole weekend. What, what has changed now about that plan?
Aurora James
Yeah, 15th street block party. Okay, so our gala is the 15% pledges, like largest fundraising event of the entire year. So we sell tables to, you know, any number of different people and it's pretty traditional fundraiser. We have a really fun dress code called black tie, black designer. You know, that's going to continue on. You know, we're also going to be raising money in the room for founders who have lost everything because of the wildfires. We normally don't raise money in the room at our gala. It's really community focused. You know, last year Dr. Biden was there and you know, we honor people and this year we're really going to be focusing on honoring a lot of founders who've just been the pillars of their community. Not just in Los Angeles, but other parts of the country, I think. Yeah. The idea is just taking over this entire Paramount backlot for the whole weekend. And there's sort of the fake movie set stores that you've probably seen if you've ever been to the Paramount backlot before. We take those over and turn them into like real black owned businesses. So dot Malach on tour, there's like a Sephora store where you can buy all the black owned businesses that are at Sephora. Right. Like the Daria Secret has a store that they paid for for black founders. So there's just a number of different things. We have a, a bookstore that's all, you know, banned books. We have like a ton of. Mickalene Thomas is coming to like have art there where all the proceeds are going to be going to displaced founders and she's also going to be signing books so it's really just like a whole weekend of celebrating like small business and resilience and perseverance and community. And we really try to bring it to life as much as possible. There's going to be a ton of food trucks. So what we're changing is a, we're going to be adding a lot of businesses. All these businesses in Altadena that have been impacted, we've been in touch with them and are trying to get as many of them there in whichever way makes sense for them. We're going to be giving out a lot of grants as well, which is obviously really important fundraising for these businesses directly. And then 100% of the proceeds from our ticket sales for the entire weekend are going to be going directly to these businesses that have been impacted because of the wildfires. My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career.
Lauren Sherman
Day and said he was a big roas man.
Aurora James
Then he told everyone how much he.
Lauren Sherman
Loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laugh at me to this day.
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Lauren Sherman
So let's talk about Altadena.
Aurora James
Okay.
Lauren Sherman
It's a place where middle class white people are moving in droves because it's still pretty affordable. Really nice. I know a lot of people that lost their homes. What I was less informed about because of who I am and the kind of media I consume and all of that. And I don't spend a lot of time there. I go out to dinner there once every six months or whatever is that it has a big black community as well. And a lot of the people who have been hurt the worst in this fire are black people and black homeowners and also small business owners.
Aurora James
So yeah.
Lauren Sherman
What did you know about that community prior to this and what have you learned and are, are any, I'm assuming some of the businesses. You mentioned your florist, but I'm sure there are other businesses involved that are directly connected to that community or based there.
Aurora James
Yeah, there's a bunch that are based there. You know what I know about Altadena is it's always been sort of this really vibrant black neighborhood. There's a bunch of friends of mine that live there. Some are black, some are not, as you mentioned. But you know, Justina Blakeney from Jungle, who has an incredible business, is a huge advocate and kind of community leader in Altadena. Chantel from Offerings is also based in Altadena. And Lonnie Ellis, who's a great storytelling teller on Social. Her entire family's from Altadena. A lot of people's parents first home or grandparents first homes were purchased in Altadena for, like, $15,000. You know, and to be honest with you, Lauren, a lot of the people that we've also been in touch with are people who were either kicked off of their insurance or also maybe were able to afford insurance. So it's a really tough situation. And I think for me, it's, you know, listen, anyone losing everything is horrible no matter what color you are. I think for me, it's just, how do we make sure that these people are not left behind? Right. How do we make sure that these people also have a lawyer to help with insurance claims? Like, how do we make sure that these people are still able to collect FEMA money? You know, even if they, like, started to go fund me on day one for $5,000 or something, you know, like, just figuring out some of those logistics and also making sure that there's a plan to get them back on their feet. But, yeah, I mean, it's really tough. And, and, and the neighborhood is gentrifying in the way that so many other neighborhoods are gentrifying. And I think, you know, gentrification is a whole other issue. But I think what remains to be seen in Altadena, Pasadena, Palisades, in terms of rebuilding efforts and who swoops in, who stays around for the rebuild. All of that, I think, is, you know, it's going to be tricky.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, I, I don't. Maybe everybody's in the world is familiar with this, but something that I didn't really realize up until a couple of months ago is that it's actually just getting next to impossible to get your house insured in California, in Southern California. Like, it's really, really hard. It's expensive. And so a lot of these insurance plans are running out and they don't have them. And the thing is, when you think about who will be able to rebuild, it's going to be people with money. It's going to be people who can negotiate with the lawyers. It's. So when people are thinking about. You and I were texting the other day, and you and I were texting, and I said, you know, where should people be giving their money? And I've gotten also a lot of fashion brands are like, I want to donate stuff or I want to give stuff. And the thing is, really think about where you're putting it. Think about the GoFundMes that you're putting money into. If you're an individual, think about if you're a fashion brand or whatever. Great to write down inventory. I have a whole list of places that are looking for like tons of units. And if you're a big company, you need to write down some old inventory. This is a good opportunity to do that and help people. But also how are we going to keep these people in their community is I feel like what, what everyone in LA is thinking about right now. And I'm closer to Altadena, so that's where my focus is as, as a part of the community. But you're right, it's happening in the Palisades. It's happening all over, everywhere that was affected in the city.
Aurora James
Yeah, I mean, I think it's. We've sort of battled with this a little bit at the CFDA too. Right. So what we've done there with CFDA Cares is really set up a strategy to receive like large scale donations in clothing and beauty, totally unused stuff and, and are going to be putting like, like wardrobe kits together. People who need just a whole new wardrobe or then also the opportunity for people to actually come in and, and select things. But then in a larger, broader sense, just like being able to distribute on the ground like mass amounts of, you know, underwear, socks, denim if necessary. And, and I think all of that is super, super important. And I think it's really helpful to be able to like organize and implement in a way that really makes sense. And I think, you know, listen, like, people also have to know their lanes a little bit as different organizations. It's like the 15% pledge is not an emergency aid organization. We focus on small businesses. That's what we know. And that's, you know, the angle that we're going to take. Right. Like the Pasadena Humane Society is going to take a different angle. So I think to your point, right, when you're saying people should really think about how they're helping, this is exactly right. It's like if you are a lawyer, like, I probably don't need you to like donate your, you know, pro Wenza dress. Okay. If you want to sell someone your pro ends address for $2,000 and then donate that $2,000 to all Tedina girls, that's good.
Lauren Sherman
You know, that Proenza dress is probably worth more money now since they started.
Aurora James
Lauren that's why I said 2000.
Lauren Sherman
It's a really good point. I have all these bags of stuff that's not fancy enough for the real real, and I haven't known what to do with it. And I was like, oh, I'll drop it off somewhere this week. And then I realized as the week went on, I was like, nobody wants the shit.
Aurora James
No one wants that. You can drop it at, like, Crossroads, and when they give you your $60 check, you can, like, go online and donate that.
Lauren Sherman
I forgot about Crossroads. I feel like they don't take as much as they used to, but. Good point, good point. And I mean, there are. There are other things we could. We could be doing, so.
Aurora James
Yeah, we could put it directly into a landfill in Africa also. That.
Lauren Sherman
Exactly. So, cfda, what are. What are the brands? You're talking to businesses of all different sizes that are being affected differently by this. Some people are based here, some people just have a lot of retail here. This is different from COVID in that it's only. It's regional. So this is a huge place of business for a lot of brands that are in the cfda, but it's also not their entire business other than how they can help. What are the concerns of the businesses right now?
Aurora James
I mean, I think it's really confusing for people, right. Because for most people in America, this fire's playing out on social media.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, right.
Aurora James
And on their news app. So, you know, we did our, like, tasting yesterday for the event, which felt, like, kind of weird to do, you know, and it's. There were some people that came in from New York and they were, like, whoa. We were, like, excited, expecting the. The air to smell like smoke and to see, like, fire from the plane. And, like, no one's wearing a mask. And, like, it was hard to get a dinner reservation. And, like, this whole city's, like, popping, what the heck? You know, And. And I think it just. La, like, feels like Armageddon if you're watching the apps. And. And in some ways, to be honest with you, Lauren, like, it is. This is a gigantic catastrophe, you know, and that cannot be understated. But I think in that same breath, what we don't want for L. A is, like, an abandonment, right?
Lauren Sherman
Totally. The Watch. LVMH Watch week was supposed to be next week, and they moved it. And I thought, damn, I wish they had it.
Aurora James
No, no, there's going to be a big backlash against people taking work out of LA right now.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
Aurora James
I mean, I'm talking to these people. I've talked to so many vendors, like caterers, dancers, musicians, comedians, like, everyone. Like, who haven't I talked to this weekend? You know, and the fear is just that, like, oh, this isn't going to just impact us now. It's going to impact us in Q2, it's going to impact us in Q3. And then also like, this guy is trying to buy Greenland. Like, it just is just really chaotic for people right now.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, about. About Greenland. No, just kidding. We're not getting into that on here. You can listen to the Powers that Be, Puck's daily podcast with Peter Hamby about. About Greenland. But it's interesting because the. There's a bigger. If you zoom out and look at LA and what's happening in the city, Covid the strike, people not going to the movies. This is a real company town. The entire ecosystem, the entire economy is based around Hollywood. Maybe not as much as it was 20 years ago, but still very much so. I think it's diversified a bit in the last 10 years in particular. But I was talking to someone, this is probably two or three months ago, has lived out here since the early 2000s. And I mentioned I was from Pittsburgh. And he said, you know, LA is kind of like the Pittsburgh of this era in that the thing. Because Pittsburgh was like a mill town that it recovered. But in a weird way from. My husband always jokes, he always talked about the urban renaissance in Pittsburgh that never actually happened. But it's like economically fine, but like culturally I never really recovered from all the mill stuff. But this guy was saying, he's like, oh, it's like LA is sort of like Pittsburgh because this is like a dying industry that still makes a ton of money and it's just going to be this slow thing. And this is just like the, the latest part of that. But on the other hand, there are so many people here who have so much money, who have nothing to do with the entertainment industry or they've already made so much that that doesn't matter. From a business ownership perspective and being someone who has only been based. You've lived here before, but lived here for like the last five years, what do you think happens to the city and especially for designers and people who work at brands who, who might do a lot of business here, but who aren't based here, what do you think the sort of next phase of Los Angeles is going to be as. As they do rebuild?
Aurora James
Yeah, it's such an interesting question. I mean, it is tough, like the amount of work that's being taken out of LA is really tough and I think the impacts there will be really real. I think creativity in certain worlds has always struggled a little bit in Los Angeles, and I'm not sure that that struggle is going to get any easier. And you know, fashion wise, I'd say it's really interesting because they would say that the fashion presence in LA is actually growing.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
Aurora James
And I do think that how people consume content is changing. Right. Like, we may not be making as many, like, sitcoms that are being shot at the Paramount backlot anymore, but we do have a ton of creators and we do have a lot of new businesses that are popping up here that are sort of rewriting the narrative a little bit, you know. So I think it all still remains to be seen, despite these wildfires. I will say, like, and obviously that's a gigantic caveat, but, like, Los Angeles is still an incredible place to live and work, so I'm not sure that people are going to want to abandon it. But will it become harder to afford to live here or an aspiring actor? Yes.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, I feel like also the sort of center of where people choose to build and, and to live. I mean, I don't know if you can build anything more in Larchmont, but I just see everyone. It's going to just all the $4 million homes are going to be 7 million in like two years, right?
Aurora James
Totally. That part's very crazy. I mean, you know, I hope that L. A can really lead the charge on some climate change innovation. I mean, California is the 8th largest economy in the world, right?
Lauren Sherman
Yeah.
Aurora James
Like, something's got to give. I mean, people are blaming this fire on everything except for climate change. If you watch certain television stations.
Lauren Sherman
Yeah, well, not everybody likes to believe truth, Right. I'm going to leave you. I know you have a lot of work to do, but what's your next plan, your next step? And also for the people listening who want to do something, most of them work in the fashion industry, or at least they're consumers. Like, what are you going to be working on in the next few days in the lead up to the, to the gala? And what is your advice to people who really want to do something meaningful and impactful?
Aurora James
I mean, well, first of all, shout out to everyone that's fostered an animal because we love to see that Pasadena Humane has, like, nothing left. I guess, last time I checked, what I would also just say is, like, I think be really thoughtful and do some research on where you want to make donations. If you want to make donations, I think that you Know, clothing is great, but I'm sure, like, the CFDA designers probably have it under control. Like, I, I anticipate there to be, like, tens of thousands of units of clothing that are being donated, and I think that's really helpful. But you know, what, what else? Right? It's like, what's your specialty and how can you help? You know, would love to see 6,000 people come to Paramount Studios on February 1st and 2nd. So, you know, buy a ticket for yourself, buy a ticket for other people in your office. Buy a ticket for all the girls of the Altadena Girls. Like, buy a ticket for everyone. We're giving 100 of those proceeds to businesses who've been impacted and I think continue to show up for la. Right? If there's a business that, you know, that's in a tough spot, buy a gift certificate. A lot of us learned these skills during the pandemic, right? So I hate to go back there mentally, but, you know, show up, support, continue to support the advocates that are actually doing some of this work. Ask questions, don't make assumptions, don't feed into some of the mis and disinformation online, you know, like. And remember that LA is going to have to rebuild. And not everyone that was impacted is a bajillionaire, because I've also seen a lot of that, like, kind of weird combo online. It's like, that's the people that, you know, listen. Like, don't get me wrong, I do have some very wealthy friends who, like, lost their second homes. Right. But that's not the vast majority of the experience that's happening right now. And it doesn't do anyone any good to focus on some of that negativity. Yeah, we just, we have a lot of work to do, and I think it's one step in front of the other.
Lauren Sherman
Well, I'm sure everyone who's listening to this will be not only buying tickets for February 1st and 2nd, but they'll also be flying out here just to attend.
Aurora James
I mean, amazing. I just, I, I am going to see a ticket jelly. It's going to be fantastic.
Lauren Sherman
I hope I get to meet some of these Altadena girls. I love this thing. It's so fabulous.
Aurora James
I'm sure you will. Do you want to meet the Compton Cowboys? You know, you can meet Whoever you want February 1st.
Lauren Sherman
I'm very excited.
Aurora James
It's going to be great. You have to get your, your, your tarot card read, Lauren. You could even get your hair braided if you want.
Lauren Sherman
Oh, I, I don't know. If I should get my hair braided, Aurora, I'll advise you beforehand. But I'm definitely getting my tarot cards read and I will be there.
Aurora James
Adopt a dog. Did you know that black cat or a cat. Did you know that black cats are the least adopted?
Lauren Sherman
That's so interesting. Everybody do that. It was great to chat. Again, I'm sorry that our other conversation was for not. I didn't ask you what you had for breakfast because it felt a little irrelevant even though this is a Friday show. Your coffee we really got. Next time you come on, we can get into your coffee routine because it's really good. But thank you for doing this and all that you do. Everyone. You should follow Aurora on social media. You should follow the 1515 pledge. You should follow CFDA. You should follow Brother Valleys. And you should also I Does Parody Parody Collective have an Instagram account?
Aurora James
No, we don't.
Lauren Sherman
But Aurora is out there raising money and advising the small brands. So that's just one more thing that she somehow manages to do. So congratulations and thank you for all you do and don't bug her too much. If you have a question for you can DM me and I'll get the answer.
Aurora James
Thank you so much, Lauren. You're really a light in this situation.
Lauren Sherman
Thank you. Fashion People is a presentation of Odyssey in partnership with Puck. This show was produced and edited by by Molly Nugent. Special thanks to our executive producers, Puck co founder John Kelly, executive editor Ben Landy and director of Editorial operations, Gabby Grossman. An additional thanks to the team at Odyssey, JD Crowley, Jenna Weiss Berman and Bob Tabador.
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Fashion People Podcast Summary: “Fashion and the Fires”
Episode Title: Fashion and the Fires
Release Date: January 17, 2025
Host: Lauren Sherman, Puck Correspondent
Guest: Aurora James, Founder of Brother Vellies, Founder of the 15% Pledge, Founder of Parity Collective, Vice Chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
Duration: 35 minutes
In the episode titled “Fashion and the Fires,” Lauren Sherman welcomes Aurora James, a prominent figure in the fashion industry known for her multifaceted contributions through Brother Vellies, the 15% Pledge, and Parity Collective. The conversation delves into the devastating impact of the Los Angeles wildfires on black-owned businesses and explores actionable strategies to support those affected.
Aurora James opens up about the immediate and profound effects of the wildfires on her businesses and the broader community.
Aurora James [05:31]: “I checked in on a friend and the feedback was like, oh my gosh, I think I'm about to lose my house... this is one of the largest catastrophes in the history of America.”
Aurora discusses how the fires shattered the illusion that such disasters were confined to specific, high-risk areas like Malibu, revealing the widespread vulnerability across diverse neighborhoods.
Lauren prompts Aurora to elaborate on the 15% Pledge, its origins, and how its mission has adapted in the wake of the fires.
Aurora James [09:34]: “We launched a call to action... major retailers should commit 15% of their shelf space to black-owned businesses. Ten days later, we had Sephora on board, followed by Macy's, Nordstrom, and Ulta Beauty.”
Originally established to amplify black-owned brands by securing dedicated retail spaces, the 15% Pledge has partnered with over 800 black-owned brands, significantly transforming the presence of these businesses in major retail outlets.
With the fires altering the landscape, Aurora explains how the upcoming 15% Pledge Gala has been reshaped to directly aid impacted businesses.
Aurora James [14:38]: “100% of the proceeds from our ticket sales for the entire weekend are going to businesses that have been impacted because of the wildfires.”
The gala, scheduled for February 1st and 2nd at Paramount Studios' backlot, will transform the space into a vibrant marketplace for black-owned businesses, feature performances, and include art installations by notable artists like Mickalene Thomas. Additionally, grants will be distributed to help rebuild affected enterprises.
The discussion shifts to the specific impact on Altadena, a historically vibrant black neighborhood now facing severe losses.
Aurora James [18:31]: “Anyone losing everything is horrible no matter what color you are... how we make sure that these people are not left behind.”
Aurora highlights the dual challenges of immediate disaster response and the long-term threat of gentrification, which could displace the very communities enmeshed in the fabric of Los Angeles.
Lauren raises concerns about the escalating difficulty of securing insurance in Southern California, exacerbating the rebuilding process for affected individuals.
Lauren Sherman [20:29]: “It's actually just getting next to impossible to get your house insured in California... it's going to be people with money who can rebuild.”
Aurora concurs, emphasizing the need for equitable support mechanisms to ensure that rebuilding efforts do not disproportionately favor the affluent.
Aurora outlines the strategic initiatives undertaken by the 15% Pledge and Parity Collective to provide tactical support beyond fundraising.
Aurora James [22:17]: “We set up a strategy to receive large-scale donations in clothing and beauty... put together wardrobe kits and distribute essential items.”
Collaboration with the CFDA ensures that donations are effectively managed and distributed, addressing both immediate needs and long-term recovery for small businesses.
Closing the conversation, Aurora offers practical advice for listeners eager to contribute meaningfully to the recovery efforts.
Aurora James [32:31]: “Be really thoughtful and do some research on where you want to make donations... buy a ticket for the gala, support local businesses, and avoid contributing to misinformation.”
She encourages participation in the gala, purchasing gift certificates for affected businesses, and supporting advocacy efforts to maintain the community’s resilience and integrity.
Lauren and Aurora reaffirm the importance of community solidarity and strategic support in the face of disaster. The episode concludes with a heartfelt endorsement of Aurora’s initiatives and an invitation for listeners to engage with the 15% Pledge Gala to foster recovery and sustain black-owned businesses in Los Angeles.
Support the 15% Pledge Gala on February 1st and 2nd by purchasing tickets to aid black-owned businesses affected by the Los Angeles fires. Participate in rebuilding efforts and celebrate resilience within the fashion community.
For more information and to get involved, follow Aurora James and the 15% Pledge on social media, and engage with the initiatives spearheaded by Parity Collective and the CFDA.
This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the “Fashion and the Fires” episode of the Fashion People podcast, providing an informative overview for those who have yet to listen.