How Adiff’s Angela Luna is Changing the World, One Jacket at a Time
We took some time to sit with rising fashion star, Angela Luna, founder and creative director of Adiff, a brand devoted to leverage the fashion industry to address global issues and promote circularity and sustainability.
While studying fashion at the Parsons School of Design in NYC, Angela never thought that her fashion degree would allow her to make a difference in the world. She admits to being unaware of the unfortunate events that were happening around her, until one day, while scrolling through Facebook, a startling image caught her eye. It was a photo of a child, a refugee from Syria, lying motionless on the beach. It was this photo that caused Angela to sit up and take note. “My stomach dropped seeing all of the images and articles that were flooding my feed,” says Angela. “I ended up spending every second of the day researching Syrian refugees and their struggle and realized how uninformed I was.”
After getting a better understanding of the conditions faced by refugees in Greece, Angela launched Adiff. In fact, many of her stylish designs were meant to be donated and not made for purchase. As the brand picked up steam, Angela went back to the drawing board and started creating pieces that were not only for the brand, but also continued to be geared towards donations. Angela mentions, “A lot of research and time was being put into developing original pieces and emergency kits, while also pushing long-term impact.”
Sustainability is a key factor that has allowed Adiff to create an impact. Through careful supply chain management, Angela creates accessories and outerwear that are simple, functional and sustainable. Made of recycled material, Adiff jackets can be transformed into minimalist shelters. Her passion and commitment has not gone unnoticed. Adiff was named as CFDA and Accessories Council’s 2019 Elanie Gold Launch Pad winner.
The company’s impact program works to employ and empower refugee tailors, allowing them to continue the work they enjoy at a professional skill level, with salaries to support themselves and their families. Adiff has opened its first facility in Athens to create their new collection. “So far, we have hired five tailors and have begun employing individuals who are all refugees. Through this initiative, we hope to address some of their issues by providing jobs and using recycled waste material to create the product,” notes Angela. The company’s goal is to bring circularity to the forefront of the fashion industry, setting an example for upcycling and sustainability.
Delivering Good is grateful to be chosen as Adiff’s distribution partner for efficient impact. Through their recent donations, Adiff and Delivering Good has assisted 500 refugees in Syria and 200 homeless individuals in the Los Angeles area. “Working with Delivering Good has been the easiest thing. I thought that donating product to Greece would be easy, but quickly realized otherwise. Delivering Good makes it so that I have one less thing to worry about. I know when the product is going to arrive and that it will directly reach people in need.”
Angela encourages her peers in the industry and those looking to create a socially-conscious business to ‘just start’. “There is no first step or right way. In fact, just starting your business is the first step. Long-term, an empowerment program is essential,” Angela shared. “Clothing can meet the humanitarian need and further assist us in our daily lives, it if is designed right.”
Delivering Good congratulates Angela and Adiff for making such an impact, and for helping Delivering Good achieve our mission of fashion giving back.
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