In Los Angeles, members of the fashion community are leveraging their distinctive talents to support those affected by the recent wildfires.

Celebrity stylist Elizabeth Stewart usually spends her days dressing high-octane clients like Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth Olsen, and Viola Davis in the finest luxury clothing. But in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, Stewart is pulling all-nighters, sorting donations for people who have lost their homes. She will move her growing collection to a warehouse where, on Friday, she will welcome people from Altadena to the Palisades whose entire wardrobes have been reduced to ash. She is also packing suitcases for people who are too overwhelmed to come and peruse in person. Friends, neighbors, and brands alike have stepped up to the plate, meeting Stewart’s one request: “We’re trying to sort through donations with the criteria that I would give this to my best friend,” she says.

As wildfires ravage neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, the local fashion community is coming together to provide clothing for victims that not only fits their needs but also aids in restoring their sense of normalcy. Stewart, who is collecting socks and underwear, is focused on addressing a need that goes beyond just the essentials. “There are plenty of donation centers where individuals can find basic necessities,” Stewart explains. “We aim to help people begin to feel like themselves again and to provide them with a foundation for their wardrobe that lasts beyond just the next couple of weeks.” This effort involves offering fresh, trendy clothing that individuals will genuinely want to wear, “something that can uplift their spirits,” she adds.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

While looking good isn’t exactly on the base tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, its psychological importance cannot be overstated. “These people are still living their lives with their homes gone, and they still want to be able put something on and feel like themselves,” Stewart says. The desire to regain normalcy through fashion is perhaps most exemplified through the Altadena Girls, a donation site created by 14-year-old Avery Colvert specifically for the teenage victims of the Eaton Fire. “We’d love for the ‘shopping’ experience to feel good and special, not like grabbing things from a box or bag,” the group wrote on Instagram. Among those who volunteered their services were Jamie Mizrahi, who counts Jennifer Lawrence, Mikey Madison, and Jeremy Allen White as clients; Karla Welch who dresses Sarah Paulson and Anna Sawai; and Katie Qian, who has dressed the likes of Tyla and Camila Cabello. (The Altadena Girls received so much interest that one stylist was reportedly turned away due to the high volume of volunteers.)

Stylists across LA (and beyond) are bringing their unique set of skills and powerful Rolodexes to the table in the wake of a life-altering disaster. Lana Jay Lackey, who has styled everything from Billie Eilish’s Nike campaign to North West’s Interview Magazine cover, knew just what to do when starting the LA Clothing Drive. “I’ve been known to be on big jobs with 20 talent, 50 talent that need full outfits,” she says. “I was like, okay, let’s just use this formula that I’ve used for dressing people for jobs.”

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

Lackey, who is also in the midst of transporting her donations to a warehouse in Altadena, has compiled a spreadsheet of families—mostly victims of the Eaton Fire—who are in need of new wardrobes. So far, she has amassed nearly 200 families in need, and she keeps a photo of each person for reference. “We have direct communications with families. We have their numbers, we have their sizes, we have their location,” she says. “It means these families don’t need to go to donation centers and sort through stuff. We get to deliver straight to them.” While Lackey acknowledges the enormous demand—and the difficulties for a small group of people to meet it—she has received an outpouring of support. Interview editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg, fashion editor Alastair McKimm, and singer Charli xcx are among those who have directly boosted the LA Clothing Drive, encouraging brands to send new clothes to those in need.

Not everyone is focused on the new. Next Page

Recommend