For more than five months, the US film and TV industries have been shut down due to strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), costing the US economy 45,000 jobs. While the WGA strike ended in late September, virtually all productions have remained frozen and many people remain out of work.
In solidarity with the striking workers, the sustainable solutions and services studio Roboro is holding Green for Good, a clothing swap benefit event that will raise money for union relief funds and provide work for film industry professionals. The event will be held from December 9th to 11th at the Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills, California. Use of the venue was generously donated by the Writers Guild of America.
Roboro was founded by Jillian Clark, a costume designer on Hollywood film sets and a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) local 705 Motion Picture Costumers. She saw how the strike affected her brothers and sisters, so she was inspired to take action to support those in need. The event’s fundraising goal is $3 million, which is estimated to be what the strikes are costing out-of-work individuals and families in LA. It is also worth the quarterly union dues for the approximately 50,000 Los Angeles-based, below-the-line IATSE crew members.
Green for Good’s first day is for invitation and VIP ticket holders only, and it will be a press night with sponsored bars, food, speakers, music, and ‘thank you’ bags for guests. Day two will be for public ticket sales, also featuring sponsored bars and music. The activities for day three are pending ticket sales of the first two days, and it will also be open to the general public.
The event will feature six uniquely designed fitting room activations by production designers and film industry costumers, who will provide a personalized swapping experience for ticket holders and Instagram-worthy backdrops for fitting room selfies. The six activations are: women’s formal, women’s casual, men’s formal, men’s casual, children’s & maternity, and designer. The boutique layout will allow for easy browsing and swapping of clothes.
Each ticket holder must bring between one and five quality clothing items to swap at the event, and additional swapping inventory will be provided by local and luxury brands. The on-site entertainment, speakers, food, and beverages will create a fun and engaging community event, with some surprise celebrity contributions.
Jillian Clark, the founder of Roboro and the Green for Good Event
“Having been a costume designer in Hollywood, I personally know many people who have been affected by the strikes,” Clark says. “Many of them are now out of work and have families to support and financial obligations to pay. I've been fortunate to have been able to move back to Massachusetts, where I have a great support system, but many others don't have that option. Roboro is organizing Green for Good to support filmmakers who have been financially impacted by the ongoing strikes, show support to our WGA and SAG-AFTRA brothers and sisters on the picket lines, draw global attention to the importance of the strikes, all the while providing an engaging and sustainable event for the LA community.”
Roboro has been conducting clothing swaps since 2020, as a way for people to donate clothing they no longer use within the community while updating their wardrobes. The clean and gently worn garments are hung, steamed, and sorted by style, size, and color, with the help of Roboro’s professional organizational system and expert stylists.
According to Roboro, fashion is the second most polluting global industry, next to fossil fuels. Around 17 million tons of textiles go into US landfills each year, according to the EPA, as the average person purchases twice the amount of clothing as of 15 years ago, yet keeps it only half as long as they used to.
Roboro’s mission is to end textile waste, by offering sustainable solutions for textile waste for brands and businesses as well its atelier upcycling textile waste into unique garments for both men and women, as well as lifestyle goods and accessories. Its commercial upcycling and recycling services help companies and events reduce their carbon footprint.
Media contact:
Name: Jillian Clark
Email: [email protected]
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