Designed to help
Movement for change – when compassion and the love for fashion come together in order to help others and make a difference.
Interview with Angela Luna - Founder and CEO of ADIFF, originally posted on Brave Folks on March 24. 2017
1. Would you like to tell us something more about yourself? Have you always been creative?
Since I was a child, I had always demonstrated an interest in design and the arts. Both my parents are architects, so I guess you could say that it has always been in my blood. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to design clothing.
2. How did you come up with the idea of creating such jacket? Was there a particular reason or occasion that made you realize there is a need for something like that?
All of our jackets are meant to address global displacement. I remember first learning about the refugee crisis and wanting so badly to help, but having no idea what I could possibly do. Coming from a background in fashion, I really had no choice but to try to use my design skills to find a way to help, and that’s how all of the jackets came to be. From the beginning, it was always about using design as a vessel to provide assistance and to possibly save lives.
PHOTO © ADIFF
SMALL TENT JACKET
A COUPLE'S SIZED TENT THAT CAN COMFORTABLY FIT 2 PEOPLE AND IS CAPABLE OF TRANSFORMING INTO A JACKET AND ROLLED BAG.
PHOTO © ADIFF
3. Tell us more about the project and the creation process? How long did it take you to find the right design?
After I decided to focus on the refugee crisis, the next step was figuring out which problems could be addressed through design. Although I wish I could address all the problems, I noticed that I first had to select the ones that could potentially be resolved throughout the course of my thesis - actually several jackets didn't even get designed until the second portion of the year, when I was able to approach the problem from a different standpoint. This was done through massive amounts of research from articles, image collection, videos, and interviews with humanitarian agencies. After identifying the problems came the incredibly difficult task of engineering the garments, which in a several cases involved making free-standing structures. Usually with fashion, you need to be sure it just stays on the body, but in my case it also had to stand up by itself, battling gravity. Getting the tent jackets to actually stand up easily took 6 months. The design development took the longest of all, but also was the most rewarding.
4. It’s a new movement in the fashion industry that’s addressing global issues. What are your future plans?
My entry to the refugee crisis and global displacement is through fashion, but I have many other project ideas involving architecture, product, and service design that I would like to do. By creating a movement in one industry, I think it’s easier to inspire change in the next. Ultimately, my goal is to make as much of a positive impact as possible on the lives of people suffering from global displacement.
5. What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome in order to bring your idea to life?
I wouldn’t say it’s totally brought to life yet! Right now our biggest challenge is finding funding so we can fulfill the orders we have for products that are not even out yet. So far I have had major challenges with marketing, testing in camps, and generating awareness of the project, but we have managed to overcome these issues, and I know we can handle whatever else happens.
PHOTO © ADIFF
CHILD CARRYING
NEVER LOSE YOUR CHILD. THIS RETRO-REFLECTIVE JACKET HAS A REMOVABLE CHILD HARNESS THAT CAN BE PUT IN THE BACK OR FRONT.
PHOTO © ADIFF
6. Was there a moment when you felt discouraged and you were even ready to give up?
There are actually a lot of moments when I feel that way, and surprisingly this week is one of those weeks! Being an entrepreneur (especially one with such a big social mission), there are a lot of highs and lows, and other people only really pay attention to the highs. When I started the Kickstarter, it was moving really slowly - we were only at $16k about 2 weeks before the campaign was supposed to end and I was already planning on moving to Maine and working for LL Bean, getting a tiny house, a jack russel terrier, and basically giving up. Then the next day, I received an email from Insider asking to do a video. And the day after that, the Kickstarter went viral.
7. Yes, life is full of ups and downs. What helps you get through moments like that? What keeps you going?
There are a few things that keep me going. First of all, is that I never know what the next day is going to bring, which is terrifying and exciting all at once. But it just means that something horrible that's happening today has the possibility of being completely fixed or disappearing by tomorrow. And second, no matter how hard things get, I have to remind myself that this brand, this startup isn't about me. It's about the hundreds of refugees that I met in Greece. It's about the homeless people I pass in the city. There are so many others whose comfort and safety are riding on the success of this venture, and I owe it to them, to give it all I have and continue fighting. I purposefully have the background of my laptop set to the kids that I met in the camps, because they remind me of the reason why I'm doing this. The people I am doing this for are what keeps me going.
8. What were the reactions towards your project at the very beginning?
Some of my professors expressed their concerns of how the project could be wrongfully taken as “making a trend out of tragedy.” However, this was not at all the case. There is a difference between making something inspired by the refugee crisis, and making something designed to help the refugee crisis. What I am doing is the latter - offering aid or assistance to refugees through purposeful clothing design, with the intention of saving lives.
PHOTO BY © JESS RICHMOND
9. What is the feeling of knowing that you bring happiness and that you do something good for the people in need? Are you part of any other humanitarian projects?
It’s absolutely amazing to be able to meet the end user and see the smiles on their faces when they are shown the products. To be honest, it was one of the biggest accomplishments that I have ever felt in my life. It is a constant reminder that I am not doing this project for myself, I am doing it for these people. It’s not about me, it’s all about them.
10. You are a winner of Parsons' 2016 Designer of the Year Award, and winner of the Eyes on Talents Innovation Award, member of Forbes 30 under 30 Class of 2017. What is it like seeing that your project is so well accepted and receive such great support and approval?
It is absolutely crazy! When I first started this project, I knew it would be a major risk on my part - nothing like this has ever really been done within the fashion industry. I was incredibly nervous about how everyone would take it, and I am pleasantly surprised that everyone is so excited about it! It’s amazing to become a leader of the solution-based design movement.
11. Would you like to give our readers any advice so they could be braver in pursuing their dreams?
Do not be normal! I think the worst thing you could do is try to be normal or try to blend in. I know it’s scary, it scares me too, but no one is ever remembered for doing what everyone else is doing! Also I believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference in the world. No matter what industry you are in, no matter where you live, you have the ability make difference. And if you have a talent, you should share it with the world, use it to help others.
PHOTO © ADIFF