Retailers Step Up to Support Employees Impacted by the Los Angeles Wildfires
As the wildfires rage on in Los Angeles with no end in sight, fashion brands and retailers are taking stock of the situation and stepping in to help employees impacted by the disaster.
Firefighters are making some progress — the mammoth 23,707-acre Palisades fire was 11 percent contained on Sunday and a heroic aerial effort had kept the flames from jumping east of the 405 freeway — but the scope of the damage, including unhealthy air quality and continuing power outages, is revealing how much support Angelenos need immediately and in the weeks and months ahead.
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While efforts to help the countless people who lost homes are still being organized, many fashion companies were starting at home with their own employees.
L.A.-based Clare V said 15 to 20 of its 112 full-time employees in the area were under evacuation orders.
“We’re providing whatever we can for those employees,” said Molly Leonetti, president of the accessories and clothing brand. “Many team members are not in the office, those who can be are in.” Anyone whose work has been disrupted is continuing to get paid.
“It’s impacting people in different ways, their mental well-being, physical well-being. It’s emotional, people are crying at different times, it’s emotional,” said Clare Vivier, who released slogan T-shirts and hats this weekend with “Los Angeles Je T’aime” on them.
The proceeds of sales will all go to the Red Cross.
“I think the T-shirt and hat will sell well because people all over the country will buy that,” Vivier said. “It’s amazing how much people love Los Angeles, but we never have to think about it except at a time like this.”
Lyndie Benson, founder and chief executive officer of Malibu-based Bleusalt, said all the company’s headquarters employees have been affected, with most people having lost power and gas. Everybody is still going paid even though the office is closed.
“We are allowing everyone to take the time they need to prioritize their well-being and safety, as well as helping others in the community,” Benson said. “We’re also bringing racks of clothes to HQ for people who are seeking donations and contributed hundreds of gently worn pieces to stylist Elizabeth Stewart’s clothing drive.”
The Made in the USA brand’s manufacturing, the mill and shipping are all on pause. Benson said the company is staying on high alert to shifting winds and will reopen when it’s safe for employees and the community.
A drive around L.A. on Friday showed how much the city has changed since the glam and the glitz of the Golden Globe Awards — which were just held on Sunday, but now feel like a lifetime ago.
At Brentwood Country Mart, the tony open-air shopping center blocks away from evacuation zones for the Palisades Fire, several stores were open Friday, but retail had changed.
“People have lost their wardrobes,” said an associate at James Perse, who was folding cashmere sweaters. “But at least clothes can be replaced.”
“I had a guy come in who couldn’t get to his house and we fixed him up. He had a meeting the next day. Another guy came in who said the only pair of pants he had left were the ones we were altering for him,” said an associate at one menswear store.
“There are fires all around us so it’s pretty scary,” said an employee at Edelweiss candy shop. “There is ash raining down outside.”
Indeed, ash was falling like a light snowfall in the courtyard surrounded by the shopping center’s red barn-like buildings where people were eating tacos and hamburgers at lunchtime.
On Rodeo Drive, only Jaeger-LeCoultre and Bijan seemed to be open. A salesperson at Bijan said “We are open by appointment, and we have some appointments.”
Many stores had signs saying they were closed due to the fires, reading, as it turns out, too optimistically, that they would reopen on Thursday.
At Westfield Century City, Tiffany & Co., Lululemon, Kate Spade and the Chanel beauty store were all closed, while Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Marc Jacobs and Boss remained open. A sales associate at COS reported that the store had reduced hours because workers were not able to come in, some because of childcare issues complicated by closed schools.
It’s too early to know the full toll of the disaster, but AccuWeather placed economic losses at as much as $57 billion in a preliminary estimate.
Insuranceopedia on Friday penciled in $5.5 billion in insurance claims from the wildfires, with estimates that included:
• 10,000 homes destroyed, with average coverage of $300,000 for a total payout of $3.9 billion.
• Damage to 500 commercial properties, with an average payout of $1 million each for $500 million.
• And personal property and additional living expenses of $80,000 per household, totaling $800 million.
Gap has a handful of stores closed due to being in evacuation zones, but all employees are accounted for and safe, the company said.
Gap has made donations to the American Red Cross and the L.A. Fire Department Foundation, and The Gap Foundation is matching employee donations to many nonprofit organizations helping with relief efforts. The company is continuing to pay store employees for their scheduled shifts during store closures, and any employees impacted by the fires are eligible for grants from the Gap Inc. Selvage Fund to support their recovery.
“Every natural disaster is personal to someone. And this week, like so many friends and colleagues, the devastation in Los Angeles cuts particularly deep. It’s a place I know well, a community I’ve called home, now with so many areas suddenly and heartbreakingly unrecognizable,” Gap CEO Richard Dickson posted on LinkedIn.
The Gap Santa Monica store on Saturday served as a pickup location for free N95 masks, hygiene kits, water and other goods in partnership with nonprofit humanitarian organization Direct Relief, as many brands and individuals lent a hand citywide volunteering to help fire victims.
Beverly Boulevard store +Coop was transformed into a fire relief pop-up with donations from Sharon Stone and Halle Berry among others. Alo Yoga planned an all-day clothing drive for Sunday, while Suay Sew Shop operated a “Free Store” with adult, kids’ and home goods.
Jenni Kayne continued to pay team members who were not able to work because of evacuations and L.A. based store and warehouse closures in effect until Saturday. She is accepting Baby2Baby donations at her Brentwood, West Hollywood, Newport Beach, and Montecito stores, and has been sending care packages to those affected by the fires. The designer’s Oak Essentials wellness brand is also donating over 2,700 units in collaboration with fellow beauty brands Tower 28 and By Rosie Jane.
Saint Jane beauty brand founder Casey Georgeson said the company had one employee who lost their home in the Palisades fire.
“We’re focused on sending her what we can; they lost everything,” Georgeson said.
Asked if the employee was still getting paid, Georgeson said: “Yes absolutely! We are picking up all of her responsibilities so she can focus on what’s most important — her family.”
PacSun’s CEO Brieane Olson said the company’s connection to California “runs deep, and we are heartbroken by the impact of the wildfires on our Los Angeles community.”
As of Friday afternoon, PacSun’s Santa Monica store was the only one of its 300-plus locations that was closed. Employees there will continue to be paid in full, according to Olson. “We remain in constant communication with our store employees to assess their needs and provide support,” she said.
“Many of our employees have joined the effort by helping answer DMs from evacuees and preparing boxes filled with wardrobe necessities,” Olson said. “Supporting our team and the broader community is at the heart of everything we do, and we remain committed to continuing these efforts in the days and weeks ahead.”
A Saks Global spokesperson said: “The safety of our colleagues and customers is our top priority. We’re supporting any impacted team members as much as we can.” In the interest of safety, the company temporarily closed Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills, Neiman Marcus in Topanga, and Beverly Hills, and Saks Off 5th units in Los Angeles at the Beverly Connection), and in Woodland Hills, Cerritos, Cabazon and Camarillo.
Ahlem Manai-Platt, the founder of L.A.–based eyewear company Ahlem, said the brand’s store is closed given the circumstances.
“No one is venturing out, as the air quality is very poor, and it’s simply not safe,” Manai-Platt said. “Thankfully, no one from our team has been harmed. Unfortunately, many of our friends and family members have lost their homes. [The] retail staff impacted continues to get paid, of course. We are offering disaster loans at 0 percent if anyone from company staff needs it.”
While the smaller companies offered TLC to employees on an individual basis, the retail giants tried to offer that as well as national networks and employee support programs to workers who have seen their lives turned upside down.
Walmart has a 24-7 Emergency Operations Center that employees can call for various kinds of assistance.
The retailer is also supporting the broader community with a $2.5 million commitment to relief efforts, including donations of food, water, essential products and grants.
Likewise, Target has its Team Member Giving Fund, which is giving employees in the hardest hit areas financial assistance for immediate needs. The retailer is also donating $1 million to national and local partners helping with recovery efforts
Others are helping the displaced workers and other members of the fashion community in different ways.
Julia Flynn, founder of the public relations firm Cabine Creative, has opened the doors of her company’s spacious showroom in West Hollywood to other creatives in the Los Angeles area.
She said Friday: “I’m committed to staying here to help however I can. Our showroom is now available to photographers, brands, stylists, showrooms, glam team — anyone needing a safe place to house their valuables. I’ve had designers shipping collections to me, and the Albright Fashion Library may also bring in their valuables over the weekend.”
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