You Won’t Believe What’s Happening Behind the Scenes: Hollywood’s Biggest Stylists Unite to Rebuild Lives After Devastating Fires!

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On the last Friday, Elizabeth Stewart and Jordan Grossman, renowned stylists and founders of Chic Relief, a non-profit established during the pandemic, were busy preparing clothing items for five friends who had tragically lost their homes in a fire. Their aim was to assist them in rebuilding their wardrobes after they had suffered tremendous losses. “We thought, ‘Perhaps we can help many more people with this!'” Stewart expressed.

Since then, Stewart and Grossman have embarked on a significant initiative to provide clothing and aid to hundreds of families who sadly lost everything due to the Los Angeles fires. They’re not working in isolation; an expanding community of fashion designers, celebrities, media executives, and artistic minds are lending their support (and some are taking independent action) to amplify the scope of relief operations.

Jeanne Yang, who’s known for styling Keanu Reeves, Taika Waititi, and others, is one of these individuals. As she puts it, “There might be a pair of sneakers or boots from a music video that I’ve kept for years, which could now be the only shoes someone owns.” She emphasizes, “While clothing may seem trivial, it’s essential for survival and to feel at ease.

Multiple long-term initiatives are underway, offering tailored, appointment-based services designed to alleviate the stress and confusion many people are facing. Numerous stylists, including Yang, are contributing clothing or lending their time to aid a charitable effort on Civic Center Drive, spearheaded by Ashlee Margolis, founder of The A List brand development company. This initiative includes fashion items and hygiene products from over 100 brands. The center aims to remain operational for at least five months and is collaborating with the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation to aid displaced families and staff members.

Margolis shared that Jennifer Lopez was the initial star to offer assistance, and she’s delivered an astounding amount of fashion contributions – there’s even more arriving today,” says Margolis. Mark, Katie, and Lucy are part of the team helping out, as are many others.

Stewart explains, “Stylists quickly responded since we have a vast collection of garments at our disposal.” Being in the industry with celebrities like Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, and Amanda Seyfried, we have an extensive wardrobe to work with, along with our personal collections. This puts us in a unique situation to assist, and we’re always communicating with each other. We didn’t just want to provide temporary essentials such as socks and underwear for these families; instead, we aimed to replace their entire wardrobes and boost their morale. The condition was, ‘Would I offer this piece to my best friend?’ This is how the initiative began.

Following an expansion of the Chic Relief Google sign-up form to acquaintances, such as teachers and single mothers in Pasadena and Altadena who were left destitute, as mentioned by Stewart, the organization is now helping 220 families. On Friday, January 17th, these families will be able to gather their customized goods, which have been packed in suitcases donated by Ricardo, Herschel, and BÉIS. Fashion brands like Tory Burch, Hugo Boss, and Cult Gaia responded to a call for product donations. Although this week’s event is at full capacity, the team will continue to assemble and deliver care packages while working with other local nonprofits to obtain and distribute essential items.

Participants lending a hand in the Chic Relief initiative are fashion experts such as Wendi & Nicole, who donated men’s tailored garments; Jamie Mizrahi, contributing from her own collection; and Lauren Jeworski, collaborating with friends in Santa Barbara to procure assorted baby and children’s clothing. Chris Horan and Tabitha Sanchez have been actively volunteering for this cause, having been associated with Charli XCX and Olivia Holt, respectively.

Maury Di Mauro, VP of Innovative Artists and Seyfried’s brand endorsement agent, purchased all the bins used for sorting items and shared a link for purchasing wish list items on Amazon that families require. Meanwhile, Troy Nankin from Wishlab talent management sent some impressive suits from his personal wardrobe, according to Stewart, and Robert Trachtenberg went shopping at a mall in Palm Springs with his partner, buying goods for the cause along the way.

Maury Di Mauro bought bins for sorting items and shared an Amazon link where families can buy needed items. Troy Nankin sent suits from his closet, while Robert Trachtenberg shopped at a mall in Palm Springs with his partner to buy things for the cause.

Stewart mentions that he knows a friend who, accompanied by her spouse, broke down at a shopping mall. They were overwhelmed and unsure of where to start, he adds. Grossman contributes with the story of a lawyer from Palisades, who had lost everything and was in court daily. Consequently, she urgently needed suits but had no time to purchase any.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase that into something like this:

Just like many others in the gaming community, I was moved to action when I saw the devastating news about Ilaria Urbinati’s clients – celebrities like Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans – losing their homes to fires. So, I started by sorting through my own wardrobe and sharing it with those who needed it more, all in response to messages on Instagram. To date, I’ve helped over 60 families, distributing around 200 pairs of men’s shoes, along with racks and trunks full of clothing.

A friend of mine unfortunately lost her home, it was her initial residence filled with all her belongings, and financially, she’s not as well-off as certain famous actors. As Urbanati shared with THR, I offered her clothing, furniture, shoes, handbags, makeup, and beauty products – essentially everything. While we can’t help everyone, it’s within our capacity to aid at least one person in need.

Urbinati felt deeply moved when she contacted John Varvatos regarding a devoted fan of their brand who had fallen on hard times and lost all his possessions. The company swiftly arranged for him to have a free shopping experience at their store. “He cried three times from happiness!” she exclaimed, further mentioning that she’s created a list of helpful resources on her Instagram Highlights. “One man needed a suit for work, so we provided him with three suits,” she continued. “Another individual required casual clothes, so we dispatched jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase it like this:

“Urbinati’s project has been extended by my friends, L.A.-based fashion and art photographers Mario Kroes and Shaye Babb, who work with big names like Vogue and LVMH. Ilaria provided me with a lot of clothes, and that’s how it all began. We believe people in need don’t want to sort through piles of clothes after losing everything, so we aim to provide them with essential services. Mario initially helped the parents of his best friend Travis, who lost their home in Altadena. The funds raised through our GoFundMe campaign, titled ‘Support Shaye & Mario’s Hand-Delivered Relief Efforts’, are used for basic necessities like masks, water, fire extinguishers, grocery gift cards, and IKEA bags to package items for families, including fashion donations from people such as stylist Sandra Amador (Lady Gaga, Sigourney Weaver). Lisa Rinna, Veronica Dash, Andrew Sandler, Jason Bergh, and many others have joined us as volunteers.

Yang and Jessica Paster, along with Miranda Kerr and Emily Blunt, are part of a text conversation among stylists that also includes Urbinati, as well as the pair Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn. This collective shares insights to generously dispense fashion advice.

“We’re all giving whatever we can give to whoever we can give it to,” says Paster.

In the midst of the widespread calamity, Yang finds comfort in the unity displayed by the fashion community: “I’m astonished at how quickly people are coming together and expressing a desire to help,” she states. “It’s not just stylists, but the outpouring of support from designers who aren’t receiving any media attention for this is incredible. As a result, I feel an overwhelming sense of optimism.”

In the midst of the disaster, Yang finds solace in the unity shown by the fashion community. “I’m astonished at how quickly people are coming together and expressing a desire to help,” she states. “It’s not just stylists, but the outpouring of support from designers who aren’t receiving any media attention for this is incredible. As a result, I feel an overwhelming sense of optimism.”)

The path isn’t simple; Yang reminisces, “It was incredibly tough when Chris Tragos, my friend, appeared at my doorstep in pajamas he hadn’t changed for three days with bloodied socks given to him by Alo, as they didn’t fit his father’s shoes properly. He was in a state of shock, unaware of it. We cleaned and bandaged his feet. His wife’s mother also lost her home. She is a 75-year-old lawyer who had nothing left, being at work when the disaster struck. I gathered clothing items for him. Not long after, he messaged me saying, ‘Things are just things — but when you lose all the clothes that hold special meaning, it takes a small piece of your identity.’ Clothes might seem insignificant or trivial, but they are part of who we are.

To donate clothing to Chic Relief, please send an email to donateclothingLA@gmail.com. If you’d prefer to make a monetary contribution, you can do so on the site or reach out to help@chic-relief.com. For those who wish to assist with The A List’s relief efforts, feel free to contact firerelief@thealist.us.

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2025-01-16 04:55