Delivering Good’s New Grant, REI Fund’s Donation, Christopher Kane’s Club Night
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GOOD GRANT: On Giving Tuesday, Delivering Good said it received a $100,000 grant from the Aerie Real Foundation to help build the confidence of women impacted by poverty and tragedy. The grant will enable Delivering Good to distribute the more than $1 million worth of merchandise donated by retailers and manufacturers.
In addition, American Eagle Outfitters’ brand, Unsubscribed, will also donate 25 percent of Giving Tuesday sales to Delivering Good.
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“AEO and Aerie have a long history of supporting Delivering Good and we’re honored to continue partnering with the organization to make the world a more positive place by inspiring and building confidence in women,” said Jennifer Foyle, president and executive creative director, American Eagle and Aerie. “When you look good, you feel good, and we’re thrilled to help provide new clothing to those in need, while furthering the #AerieReal movement and empowering women to love themselves, inside and out.”
Since 2019, AEO, its brand and customers have donated more than $1.1 million to Delivering Good, in addition to merchandise to support unhoused and underprivileged youth. The latest grant from the Aerie Real Foundation builds on AEO’s long history of supporting the organization’s mission and follows Aerie’s recent donation of more than 150 cartons of new merchandise to the nonprofit.
“Delivering Good is in a special situation, as we operate at the intersection of social impact and environmental responsibility, ensuring clothing and other products are donated to people who need them rather than being discarded,” said Matthew Fasciano, Delivering Good’s president and chief executive officer. “We’re so grateful for our long-standing partnership with AEO and its brands and to be chosen as an Aerie Real Foundation’s Signature Grant recipient, which will help us continue to positively impact people’s lives, while also giving retail companies an opportunity to donate products and operate more sustainably.”
This past October, AEO and Aerie launched the Aerie Real Foundation to build confidence in women, foster and inclusive community and protect the planet. The first recipient was NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association), which also received a $100,000 grant to fund the organization’s Campus Warriors program on more than 70 college campuses, and its body acceptance workshops.
Delivering Good provides people impacted by poverty and tragedy with new merchandise donated by retailers and manufacturers. Since 1985, Delivering Good has distributed more than $2 billion of new clothing, home goods, toys, furniture, books and other consumer products through its network of more than 1,000 community partners. — LISA LOCKWOOD
BIGGER DONATION: The REI Cooperative Action Fund said Monday it will donate another $1.98 million to 34 nonprofit organizations that promote justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors. Earlier this year, it invested $1.5 million in 23 nonprofit organizations, bringing its total donations to more than $3.4 million for 2022.
The REI Cooperative Action Fund launched in 2021 and so far, it has received more than 200,000 donations from REI customers, members and employees, as well as corporate partners and foundations.
“Thanks to the generosity of the co-op community, we’ve been able to scale our impact, providing even more support to organizations leading this important work in their communities,” said Kristen Ragain, managing director of the fund. “Our approach centers trust, power sharing and mutually accountable relationships with our partners. We look forward to continuing to accelerate the movement towards a more equitable, accessible and inclusive outdoor culture.”
The fund provides funding to a network of nonprofit companies focused on connecting people, creating space or centering health outside. That includes All Out Adventures, Boyz N the Wood, Brown Folks Fishing, Catalyst Sports, the Cheyenne River Youth Project and a number of other organizations.
The fund is part of REI’s broader efforts to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion. The company encourages its 21.5 million members and more than 16,000 employees to to participate by donating to the fund, supporting legislation that impacts the outdoors through the Cooperative Action Network and reducing their carbon footprint by purchasing and trading in used product. The fund is an independent, 501(c)(3) organization. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
GREATER JOY: Dance, dance, dance!
British fashion designer Christopher Kane’s diffusion line More Joy is partnering with Glyn Fussell from Sink the Pink, the LGBTQ collective and club night, and Charlotte Hotham from Bugged Out, one of the longest-running club nights in the U.K., to put together More Joy Disco, a new club night.
The inaugural night will be hosted at Camden’s Koko nightclub on April 6 with DJs Kiddy Smile, CC Disco and Joshua James playing.
The venue underwent a 70 million pound refurbishment with help from production company and investment firm Sister, cofounded by Elizabeth Murdoch.
Koko has been home to performers including Prince, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay and more.
“We have been dreaming about a More Joy disco since its conception in 2019. Apart from sex, there is nothing like the euphoric highs from dancing, everything feels possible in that moment, that is what More Joy is, a feeling, a state of being,” said Kane, adding that he wanted “More Joy Disco to be a playground for open-minded individuals to come together to have the most amazing time.”
The decision to move the club night around to different venues is still to be decided by the brand.
“More Joy quickly became our daily mantra, it felt both liberating and rebellious. Instinctively we knew it could be so much more than just a logo, More Joy is a philosophy. The More Joy Disco felt like the most natural thing to do next, we immediately clicked with Glyn and Charlotte; they are the perfect partners,” said Kane’s sister and collaborator, Tammy Kane.
In January, Sink the Pink announced that they will be parting ways after 13 years — the collective hosted its last club night at London’s Printworks in April, the same venue where Raf Simons showed his last collection before closing his eponymous label.
“I have been a longtime fan of everything Christopher Kane does and More Joy really speaks to everything I believe in. After creating huge events and club nights in London that bring together pleasure seekers from afar, I am thrilled that we can bring our worlds together and throw a huge party for the best that London has to offer,” Fussell said.
We intend to bring the famous Koko alive with ravers, voguers, drag queens and fashion kids dancing the best Disco DJs,” he continued. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED
PHARRELL’S LATEST: Pharrell Williams is continuing his relationship with Adidas with a new capsule collection.
The multihyphenate and his skin care brand Humanrace are teaming up with the activewear giant to release a six-piece collection that pays tribute to Adidas’ Samba silhouette. The collection includes a reimagined version of the popular sneaker in a gray and white colorway and designed in suede and leather. The sneaker has been updated with a tongue made in a molded leather and features a zigzag stitching on the iconic three-stripe style.
The collection’s apparel offerings are meant to pay tribute to Adidas’ history in the soccer world, with knit jerseys, shorts and ripstop jackets designed in gray, bright green, white, black and orange. The knit jerseys, which come with short and long sleeves, are meant to “forge a connection to football culture through an exploration of timeless colors and archival cut lines,” according to the two brands.
Williams’ Humanrace brand previously teamed with Adidas in April to release their first collection, which offered loungewear styles featuring the Humanrace logo. Williams has a long-standing relationship with Adidas, partnering with the sports giant in 2014 and releasing a number of sneaker collaborations over the last eight years.
Williams launched Humanrace in November 2020 with three skin care products housed in green, recyclable and refillable packaging. He’s since expanded the brand to offer body care and sun care products as well as homeware offerings.
Humanrace and Adidas’ Samba collection was available to purchase starting Monday on the Humanrace website and will be available on Friday on Adidas’ website. Prices range from $80 to $150. — LAYLA ILCHI
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