I first started @shopblackbirdcollection because I wanted to combine my material passion for fashion/interiors with my soul passion which is championing marginalized groups, fighting climate change and supporting people who need it most. I have always felt like what I did as an influencer/stylist wasn’t quite enough in this world, talking about important issues wasn’t enough, feeling sad wasn’t enough and taking photos (although that definitely is so important for small businesses who can’t afford advertising) wasn’t enough... particularly with my passionate belief system about the world we live in. Taking things I love and creating a business that is not only sustainable for the health of our planet but also intentionally buying from women, minority, LGBTQ and Ukrainian owned businesses made me feel like I was finally putting my money where my mouth was. Supporting the right people in the right way and spreading knowledge about why that’s important definitely isn’t lucrative, but it has been quite fulfilling I must say. Getting to hire and work with people in a way that is good for the community is also very important to me. So collecting donations for a natural disaster that was driven in part by climate change (with the fashion world playing a large role) felt like the natural thing to do. We definitely didn’t intend for it to become such a large project but nothing worth doing is ever easy. We were honored to be able to help in a tiny way and get to connect with other volunteers, victims and first responders and hopefully bring someone a little relief or joy. So many people have lost everything and I just can’t imagine the emotions they are going through trying to get back to daily life, school and work. It’s important to have compassion for all those affected.... 🥺 Thank you @ezfootball30 for taking on such a large project and thanks for everyone who donated clothing and cash for our journey west. A very special thank you to @thealist.us @girltalk @melanieknopke @sartorial_mirage @thegrovespa @caryradasky @samstownusa @shopthewears and all the volunteers... we literally couldn’t have done it without you! 🙏🏼 #wildfirerelief #lastrong #sustainability