Fashion
Vintage Sellers Start a Global Movement to Support Black Lives Matter
by Taylor Champlin
11 June 2020The past several days, a wave of brands and retailers have been releasing statements in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and the battle against systemic racism. But while many of these posts can sometimes ring hollow, others in the fashion community are taking action to help support Black charities and organizations.
One of them is Marie Laboucarié, a fashion archivist from Paris and owner of Nina Gabbana Vintage. She took to social media this week to galvanize vintage sellers from all over the world to participate in her #VGT4BLM initiative. The group of 20+ vendors have pledged to donate 100% of their proceeds from a selection of pieces to Black Lives Matter charities.
Laboucarié has chosen the charities Black Lives Matter, Black Women's Blueprint, The Okra Project, Equal Justice Initiative and La vérité pour Adama for her personal sales. In addition to contributing a person donation outside of the sales, she has also permanently dedicated a section of her website to BLM-related organizations.
"I want to remind everyone that this isn't about us," she says. "It's about a cause we all believe in, and want to help and support. The black community has been victim of racism and inequality for centuries now and people need to realize that and take action against it. Raising money through a sale for donations is one way of many to help, but not the only way. Raising awareness and speaking up about what the black community is going through around us is very important too."
Other vendors, many of whom specialize in selling archive designer pieces from the '90s and 2000s, include Pechuga Vintage, Serotonin, House W NYC and Zero Cool Archive. Together, they represent different parts of the world from New Zealand and Paris to the U.K. and Los Angeles.
To shop the items up for sale, search the hashtag #VTG4BLM on Instagram or visit the Nina Gabbana Vintage website.
Photo via Instagram