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Communities are struggling. Millennials are responding. It’s the action most needed right now, and consumers are taking notice.

Written by Sarah Morrison

COVID-19 has swiftly dealt the world a major economic blow, the likes of which has not been seen in our lifetime. Since late March 2020, when stay-at-home measures were first enacted to help slow the spread, Americans anxiously looked on as local businesses began shuttering their doors, grinding much economic activity to a halt, and altering entire livelihoods in turn.

As sectors like restaurants and hospitality continue to tread water amidst state-mandated closures and low consumer confidence, millions of American workers in these industries must also contend with the reality of evaporating income streams. It’s one of the innumerable collateral consequences of COVID-19 — no doubt felt by individuals and businesses alike.

If the sheer volume of COVID-19 relief campaigns is not indicative of the high human cost of this crisis, the 2.7 million people who filed for unemployment last week certainly makes the case. Countless businesses, now unable to fully employ their employee base, have turned to relief campaigns to affect financial relief for displaced workers; some, through grassroots sites, like GoFundMe or *spotfund; others, through more established charities or nonprofit organizations.

Answering the call of these impacted communities is a growing class of entrepreneurs as socially responsible as they are social media-savvy. In the span of just a few short weeks, these millennial-favorite brands and personalities took on a greater purpose in the face of global economic uncertainty, transforming their businesses into forces for social good, for those who needed it most. Here are the select few must-know entrepreneurs—and their buzzworthy brainchildren—daring us to rethink retail in the era of COVID-19.

This T-Shirt

New York-based creative agency, DS Projects, has teamed up with Today Show digital host, Samah Dada, and Australian art director, Josh Greenstein, among others, to launch This T-Shirt: a merchandise relief campaign benefiting restaurant and hospitality workers displaced due to COVID-19. The charitable e-commerce site, originally limited to custom t-shirts and tote bags, has recently expanded into the lifestyle sector, now offering a small selection of home goods, like candles, wine, and olive oil. Through their partnership with ROAR (Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants), a charitable organization supporting impacted restaurant workers, This T-Shirt will donate 100% of all proceeds from product sales to ROAR restaurant partners, which will then be evenly distributed to individual workers at each establishment.

Relief With Love

Started by Maggie Gavilan, Rachel Dienstag and
Samantha Kravietz, Relief With Love is a nonprofit merchandise initiative providing meals from New York City restaurants to healthcare workers on the front lines. The organization is offering a curated collection of custom beaded bracelets and sustainable tote bags wherein 100% of proceeds will go towards supporting restaurants partnered with HOSPITAL-ity Group: a grassroots COVID-19 relief fund affiliated with Relief With Love.

According to Relief With Love’s Instagram page, the organization is working with restaurants like The Village Den and Joe’s Pizza, and has recently partnered with the Rickey Sisters on a custom bracelet style, still available for purchase on Relief With Love’s website. As of this month, Relief With Love has already raised over $30,000 in merchandise sales and direct donations to support NYC restaurants and frontline workers.

Mrs. Dow Jones

Branded by The Wall Street Journal as the “Financial Guru Millennials Listen To,” Haley Sacks, better known as Mrs. Dow Jones, has quickly amassed a media empire from her popular platform @MrsDowJones, a whip-smart, financial meme account created for the discerning millennial set. In response to the crisis, Sacks has pledged to donate 100% of all proceeds from her online shop to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. The fund is working to provide resources to the city’s heavily impacted communities, such as hourly workers, local businesses, and low-income families, to ensure they stay afloat during the crisis. 

Lingua Franca

Lingua Franca, the specialty apparel brand founded by Rachelle Hruska MacPherson, has raised over $45,000 for COVID-19 relief through sales of their custom hand-embroidered cashmere sweaters. On April 1, the brand launched its ‘I Heart NY’ collection, pledging to donate 20% of all proceeds to a different New York City charity of choice each week. As part of this campaign, Lingua Franca partnered with ROAR (Relief Opportunities For All Restaurants) on a social media challenge, encouraging the Instagram community to share a favorite ‘NYC restaurant moment,’ and to tag both #TooSmallToFail and @ROAR in their posts.

What’s more, Lingua Franca has pledged to donate $100 to ROAR with each sale of their ‘Too Small To Fail’ cashmere sweater. As of today, the style remains available for pre-order on Lingua Franca’s website.

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In a time of crisis, the response from the influencer community is a tale of two cities. One collective is determined to change the narrative.

Written by Sarah Morrison

It started with a simple, and yet revealing question of the times: ‘Do you know anyone who needs Personal Protective Equipment?’ read a WhatsApp message to Serena Goh, a digital content creator based in London.

Goh suspected the answer to her father’s question was yes; after all, the 35-year-old fashion influencer, having risen to prominence by the success of her blog, The Spicy Stiletto, knew her network’s value to be vast.

Boasting over 250,000 followers on her Instagram page and close to 140,000 followers on her blog’s Facebook page, Goh swings in the big leagues where successful digital brands are concerned. Commonly called “macro-influencers,” these content creators are defined by their followings of up to 300,000—followings that more often than not, engage with these creators at extraordinary rates.

But now, plagued by an unrelenting pandemic like so many others, Goh saw the question of PPE as something of a personal call to action.

She quickly turned to her circle.

It didn’t take long before Goh’s close friend, Anthony Urbano, a prominent fashion influencer in his own right, opened up to Goh on the subject, in a group chat between the two.

As a resident of New York City, the current epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States, Urbano knew, perhaps better than most, the outbreak’s path of devastation—the rising case numbers, the abandoned storefronts, the overwhelmed healthcare systems—to be very real.

But perhaps what was most telling for Urbano, was the personal account of the crisis through the eyes of his own mother—a nurse practitioner fighting on the frontline in a hospital in New Jersey.

“I’m fine after working last night. So many codes. Hospital is chaotic. I’m ordering my own PPE. Respirator, masks, face shield, hazmat suit, everyone is doing the same thing for our own protection because hospitals are running low on these supplies,” said Urbano’s mother in a text to Urbano, later shared with Goh. “So many are getting sick and dying even nurses. One nurse in another unit died yesterday of COVID. [She] was only in her 50s.”

It was at this moment that Goh and Urbano felt the human cost of the crisis to be more palpable than ever. Following their conversation, Goh and Urbano realized they had to act.

What resulted was the launch of the pair’s charity organization, known as The Mask Fund. Its mission? To deliver Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, to the frontline.

“[In the early days of the launch] Anthony and I probably had more FaceTime calls in a week than in the entirety of our friendship, in say, I don’t know, seven years,” said Goh.

For several weeks, Goh and Urbano searched the globe for suppliers of N95 masks, sending countless of emails per day to multiple manufacturers for contracts, and enlisting the help of other non-profit organizations, like RETI Center and Last Mile NYC, to distribute their supply.

According to The Mask Fund’s GoFundMe page created on March 31, the organization set an initial fundraising goal of $50,000. As of April 26, just four weeks later, The Mask Fund had already raised close to $20,000; the entirety of which will go directly towards protecting healthcare workers stationed in the nation’s hardest-hit hospitals.

“After our first week, with the help of your generous donations and the help of @reit_center and @lastmile_nyc volunteers, we were able to place our first order of N95 masks, writes Goh in a recent Instagram post on her personal page. “The shipment arrived in New York last week and over the weekend, volunteers such as @troprouge and @mcarthurjoseph successfully delivered the first shipment to healthcare heroes through New York and New Jersey.”

Today, The Mask Fund’s core team, write Goh and Urbano, is comprised of a “community of creatives” with a mission to “make a difference for healthcare professionals fighting an invisible war on the frontline.”

A difference arguably, is needed now, perhaps more than ever.

Now, Goh and Urbano’s response to the crisis, although not unique, is a move content creators would be foolish not to pay heed to. In an industry crowded by countless players all under the watchful eye of their followers, the bones of their personal brands are, fundamentally, considered fragile—even in the best of times. Now, in the era of COVID-19, with the actions of public figures more magnified than ever, many influencers have quickly seen their images being called into question.

In a recent article published by WIRED, author Flora Tsapovsky details the controversy surrounding mega-influencers like Arielle Charnas, who “found herself facing backlash after it seemed her status helped get her a COVID-19 test.” Just eight days after testing positive for the illness, and then announcing the news to her following of 1.3 million, Charnas “found her influence further diminished when she and her family headed to the Hamptons.”

The very next day, according to an article published by The New York Times, Charnas “posted a photo of herself and her daughter strolling around the neighborhood.” When people reacted negatively, Charnas turned off commenting on the post.

Although Charnas offered a lengthy apology on Instagram, it seemed many of her followers were not moved. Following the post made on April 2, Charnas took a break from Instagram, going silent for over three weeks until this past weekend, when she updated her fans on her time away “to reflect and be with family.”

Then, there are other prominent names, like 27-year-old entrepreneur Danielle Bernstein of We Wore What, Bernstein’s personal style platform of over 2.4 million followers, who are making a case for sensitivity over self-interest. While Bernstein has certainly not shied away from her native, “outfit of the day” content strategy, the influencer has also shown a remarkable display of responsibility in response to the current crisis.

Recently, Bernstein announced on Instagram that she would be donating 10,000 masks to protect frontline staff working in NYC hospitals. Bernstein stated she herself would pre-pay for the masks, partnering with anesthesiologist-led nonprofit, Mask A Hero, and even making the effort of updating her followers on when each shipment would be delivered.

Bernstein, also the founder of Shop We Wore What, an online shop featuring the influencer’s own designer collections, is also finding creative ways to benefit her community during what is a difficult time for most. On Instagram, Bernstein announced a one-day fundraiser through Shop We Wore What, pledging to donate all proceeds of her line drawn coloring book to Food Bank for New York City.

What resulted was a crowdfunding success of massive proportions. In just four minutes, according to an Instagram story posted by Bernstein, her customers had raised over $10,000 in proceeds from sales of the book and a select few other items—surpassing Bernstein’s initial fundraising goal. All told, in the 24-hour period, Bernstein was able to raise $20,000 for Food Bank For New York City.

These charitable milestones, the first of many to follow for Bernstein, would, evidently, be the impetus for a larger mission set forth by the influencer. In a highly anticipated IGTV post uploaded to We Wore What’s Instagram page on May 1, Bernstein announced the launch of her nonprofit platform, We Gave What.

“Over the past two months, I’ve been so inspired by my community – your stories, your commitment to helping one another, and to giving back,” writes Bernstein in the post. “Because of you, we’ve been able to make a tangible difference … All this started as a response to COVID-19 but it won’t end once the pandemic is over.”

As of May 3, just two days after the post, Bernstein had already seen 100,000 views on the post and thousands of followers to We Gave What’s newly created Instagram page. This engagement metric, an exceptional one to all those with marketing savvy, is also something of a digital barometer; a barometer marking the significant shifts in both influencer and consumer behavior in the era of COVID-19.

Like Bernstein, Laurie Ferraro, a Canadian-born digital content creator now based in New York City, is using her platform for greater purpose in the era of COVID-19. On behalf of New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo, Ferraro teamed up with creative advertising agency, DeVito/Verdi, and nonprofit organization, The Partnership For New York City, for a large-scale campaign to help #StopTheSpread of COVID-19.

Bringing levity to her community in a time of crisis, Ferraro captions her post for the campaign, saying, “I know being stuck at home is hard, but right now we have to remind ourselves that it’s ok if we’re overeating or under-showering … For the sake of everyone, especially our healthcare workers, we just have to #StayHome.”

It’s evident that Ferraro’s acts of advocacy, and Goh, Urbano and Bernstein’s call for charity, is perhaps the greatest lesson the next generation of digital influencers could ever ask for. Challenged by crisis that threatens to upend their very presence, these creative thought leaders are bolstering their platform for a purpose well beyond the material, making the case for a more authentic—and nimble—influencer voice. And now, at an unprecedented scale, they just might influence the way we view all their place in the world.

© Featured image created by Christina Cardona (@troprouge)

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by Sarah Morrison

This is the second part of an ongoing series that takes a closer look at the lives and careers of top tastemakers in the fashion industry. Aimee Croysdill, stylist to stars like Laura Haddock and Daniel Radcliffe, knows a thing or two about piecing together a red carpet-worthy look. Recently, I had the pleasure of earning Croysdill’s ear to get to know the woman behind Britain’s most striking sartorial vision.

Sarah: Did you always want to be a stylist growing up?

Aimee: I desperately wanted to be a dancer, a ballet dancer. I did it from 3-22. It’s amazing how much dancing has shaped my career as a stylist. I learnt so much about how you move your body, how dressing works for all shapes, the way to pose, the way to stand. I’m forever thankful for the discipline ballet dance has given me.

Sarah: Who were your earliest style inspirations?

Aimee: My ballet teacher was and is. She was always immaculate; the way she held her head, her posture, everything was so perfectly put together. Having someone to look up to during your most formative years, who’s known you since a little girl, is hugely inspiring. Ballet teachers have this mystique about them, makes you realise style isn’t just about the clothes you wear. She was so strict with how we tied our ballet shoes, our hair. It gave me a real insight into the discipline of certain forms of art and how it transpires into how I do my work.

Sarah: Is there a roadmap to success as a stylist?

Aimee: I don’t necessarily think there’s a formula. Each week is completely different, different clients, all these twists and turns. My journey started off, I was actually at university, and celebrity styling wasn’t quite as worldly publicised as a career path so it hadn’t even crossed my mind. A friend needed some help with the art department on a film and here is where I met the costume designers who worked with Rihanna at the time. When the film finished they asked me to come work with them in between lectures and handing in dissertations. And that’s how it started. After awhile I started getting my own clients and it just evolved from there.

Sarah: How do you go about styling a new client? What questions do you like to ask them?

Aimee: Styling is a really collaborative process. It is all about bringing out their personality and their unique style qualities. I really like to get to know a person before I style them. It’s important to have a face-to-face conversation and get a feel for what makes them feel confident. Do they like a feminine aesthetic or a stronger, more masculine one? If they go for feminine, do they like frills or soft fabric? Tailoring or simple, clean lines? Do they want to have a fashion moment or stay more understated? Those sorts of questions set the tone and then we get deeper into it. That’s normally how it goes.

Sarah: Have you ever had any styling moments that went awry?

Aimee: You know it’s so funny because I get asked this question a lot. I genuinely think my brain is wired to forget (laughs). There was one occasion where I was steaming a dress an hour before the client had to get dressed and leave. As you may know, we use samples so the garments could’ve been worn on a photo shoot prior to using. All of a sudden it began to emit this awful smell. The steam was heating up what probably was sweat from the dress having been worn before. All I could think was, there’s no way my client can wear this so I secretly started to wash it in the hotel sink then got all spare hands on deck with hair dryers to dry it in time (the client had no idea!).

Sarah: The top 3 looks you’re most proud of?

Aimee: This is really hard. But I think the first is my client Laura Haddock, who wore Giambattista Valli couture to the premiere of Transformers in China. I also loved Sally Hawkins for the Oscars in 2014 where we did an exclusive Valentino couture look. We had the same tailor who flew from the atelier in Milan to London then met us in LA. Sally’s dress was completely encrusted in gold thread, pearls and crystallization…it was so heavy! Another would be Dina Asher-Smith at The British Fashion Awards last year. We styled her in a Dilara Findikoglu dress, which was this off-the-shoulder big baby blue puffball design.

Sarah: Do you have any red-carpet style hacks up your sleeve?

Aimee: If I did, I would put my tailor in my pocket everywhere I go. The tailoring is super super important. I think that’s my go-to trick, my tailor. I’ve worked with this amazing woman named Bernie for the last 7-8 years. My clients and I trust her, she’s honest and doesn’t miss a trick. It’s nice to have a second opinion in the room that can look at the finite details and see how a dress can transform from great to flawless. Also, having a needle threaded and ready to go to just in case anything needs nipping is important. As are underpinnings and tape for quick fixes.

S: How do you go about discovering new designers?

Aimee: There’s a website called Tagwalk, and it’s basically like a Google Search engine but for fashion. You can type in a colour or description and it shows you every dress on the catwalk that matches that brief. It also supports new designers so it’s a great research tool too. Tagwalk was launched by a fashion assistant, Alexandra Van Houtte, who was so fed up with spending hours searching for specifics like ‘red dresses’ and decided, there’s got to be a better way than scrolling through hours of catwalk shows to find every red dress from that season. It’s a really great site, even if you don’t work in fashion.

Sarah: Lastly, what advice would you give to women (or men) looking to break into the styling profession?

Aimee: Timing is so important. You can’t guess when is the right timing. I always say to aspiring stylists: if you email one day and you don’t get a response, keep emailing that same person. I had one girl email me repeatedly. Then, one day her third email popped up at the top of my inbox just when I was really under it and needed more hands. She came in the next day and we’ve worked together a few times now. I always say: just persevere. If it doesn’t work the first time, try again, and one day, everything will just fall into place.

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