In response to the devastating consecutive earthquakes that have killed more than 45,000 people in Turkey and Syria this month, the denim community has decided to band together to contribute to the relief efforts through a fundraiser called Denim Donates.
Hosted by Denim Dudes, a Los Angeles-based market trends consultancy, the Denim Donates raffle, which starts at $10 per entry, consists of a variety of luxury denim products; from furniture and rugs to apparel and accessories. With 21 brands in participation, like Lykke Wullf, Pangaia, Buaisou and 3Sixteen, all proceeds of the raffle will go to GlobalGiving, a nonprofit that provides global crowdfunding for charitable grassroots projects, to support immediate aid for Turkey and Syria.
Highlights from the Denim Donates raffle include a Stelapop Blue Hulk Chair made from denim scraps, an Adish x Levi’s Chore Jacket made from upcycled original 501 jeans, embellished with traditional Palestinian Tatreez embroidery, and Buaisou Dark Indigo Ropes that were part of an installation shown at the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile in Hong Kong.
Turkey is a major player when it comes to denim manufacturers, like Calik, Orta and Isko, so for many in the group this cause hits close to home.
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“If everyone makes a small effort, together we pack a stronger punch and this is why the idea of uniting like-minded people under Denim Donates worked so well,” said Denim Dudes founder Amy Leverton who, along with a close colleague, Claire Walsh, has led and organized the collective effort.
In addition to spreading awareness, the Denim Donates fundraiser aims to raise $10,000 by midnight on Feb. 24, 2023 and is already halfway to reaching its goal.
“The unfortunate truth is that natural and manmade disasters happen and will continue to happen and the world needs more compassion as a response,” Leverton said. “We are just happy we can facilitate and coordinate something via the platform our community has built.”