Red Carpet Advocacy Honors Amanda Gorman for Inspiring Social Change

When stylist and costume designer Arianne Phillips met former luxury-brand marketing executive Carineh Martin in 1997, she would have never guessed that two decades later their joint love for fashion would transform into a purpose-driven organization rooted in philanthropy. “After the 2016 election, we found ourselves protesting and advocating for change," Martin says, "and we realized that we wanted to activate our work toward social progress."

Their desire for change sparked the emergence of Red Carpet Advocacy (RAD), an initiative that launched in January of 2019 and has since generated millions of dollars in donations for nonprofits. Part of this process entails activating people to participate in charitable endeavors through promoting advocacy campaigns across platforms including awards-show red carpets, retail programs, social media, and various other events. To name one of many examples, RAD partnered with photographer Mark Seliger and Christie’s auction house to create RADArt4AID, a fundraising campaign which raised proceeds for multiple COVID-19 relief organizations by auctioning Seliger’s iconic celebrity portraits.

RAD’s most recent project, the RAD Impact Awards which launched in April of 2021, honors cultural icons who have used their platform to inspire social change. Awardees have the opportunity to share their award with a handpicked honoree, and provide a sizable donation toward a charity of their choice, with the support of Luxury Stores at Amazon.

The list of change-making awardees includes Michelle Obama, Margot Robbie, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Travis Scott, Laverne Cox, Charlize Theron, and Amanda Gorman. Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, is relatively new to the eyes of the public, but not to the game of activism.

“I was seated next to Amanda at a dinner party for Hillary Clinton, and I was instantly taken by her,” says Phillips. “When we spoke, Amanda was immediately interested in RAD, and Carineh met her shortly thereafter.” Martin and Phillips went on to partner with Gorman’s #Vote4TheFuture campaign, a nonpartisan initiative which galvanized Americans to vote in the 2020 Election, and subsequently garnered a great deal of social media attention.

Gorman’s humble nature, paired with her marvelous talent for inspiring change through poetry, inspired Martin and Phillips to create a special RAD Impact Award for Gorman. “Amanda is somebody who radiates positivity, inspires progress, and empowers hope, and that’s why we created a unique award for her, called our RADvocate award,” says Martin. “In RAD’s universe, RADvocates are advocates, and Amanda’s spirit inspires purpose, so presenting this award to her was a no-brainer for us.”

RAD’s mission has enabled Gorman and so many others to further their impact by raising social awareness and creating conscientious communities. Now, Martin and Phillips want to empower you to do the same: “There are so many causes to support, so we want to encourage you to find out how you can make a difference,” says Phillips, “The discovery is never ending, it’s a beautiful journey that ultimately makes us feel more connected, and that’s what RAD is about, creating a place where people can come together and inspire each other with what moves them.”

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