Angela Luna of Adiff Brings Her Designs to Refugees

Angela Luna of Adiff Brings Her Designs to Refugees

 

As the weather has turned cold, the needs of refugees, the homeless and more have been in the thoughts of so many – including Adiff designer Luna Angela. Luna’s brand is based around awareness and compassion, aiming to not only help those in need, but to bring broader awareness to the issues at hand.

Adiff’s designs are based around pragmatism, transforming warm jackets into a tent or sleeping bag; from a backpack to a cape; or featuring a removable baby-carrier, a floatation device, or reflective material for easy visibility. In response to the question, “what is Adiff?” the brand’s website states,“Design that not only responds to global issues, but drives awareness. Adiff is a socially-conscious startup that aims to provide clothing and aid to refugees in need, funded by your purchases from the brand.”

In an effort to ensure the designs are as useful and wearable as possible, the designer took them to six different refugee camps in Greece, to gain the opinions of the displaced inhabitants. She worked with Carry the Future, a nonprofit that provides child carriers and baby boxes to refugees.

“I thought I had an idea of what it would be like. It’s one thing to see the images on your computer and it’s another thing to stand there — the same thing for the camps,” Luna told WWD regarding her experiences. “You can read interviews with refugees online or watch a documentary, but it’s a completely different thing and you’re able to physically and emotionally connect on a human level. My main thing was I don’t understand how people can be afraid of refugees. The kids I was playing games with were exactly like the pre-schoolers I taught as a camp counselor in my hometown. There are no differences.”

Luna continued her description of this project, saying would find the individual in the camp who was most fluent in English, tell them where she was from, and ask them to try on and critique the clothes she had brought with her. The way these samples were distributed is another process Luna plans to tackle in the future. “It was only sorted by male and female. It wasn’t sorted by sizes, seasons or durability. Some were a little dirty or smelled a little weird,” she recalled in the interview. “If someone said they wanted a winter jacket, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to try it on or have in a say in what was given to them. When I do my distribution, I’d like to set it up in a much more dignified way, maybe with a trailer or trucker going around to the different camps.”

Another project offering broad help to those in need is The Empowerment Plan, a nonprofit based in Detroit that employs single parents in local homeless shelters to make coats that turn into sleeping bags or bags when not in use. According to the nonprofit’s website, founder and CEO Veronika Scott came to this idea during a project for a class at The College for Creative Studies. “Veronika took to the issue of homelessness and began spending time at a nearby warming center where the design for the EMPWR coat was born,” the website states. This nonprofit has already distributed over 15,000 coats throughout the US and parts of Canada, and provided training and employment to 34 individuals.

While not the only organisations, these are two of a small number who are using fashion to address a set of international problems that belong to everyone. In May, Luna spoke with The Boston Globe on her efforts, stating that she hopes to employ refugees in the future. I’ve pretty much made the decision for the foreseeable future to be extremely poor,” she told the publication. “It’s scary. But doing something you care about is more important. My relationship with the fashion industry is not over, but it’s definitely changed. I’m already looking into the next problem to solve.”

 

Angela Luna of Adiff Brings Her Designs to Refugees