FASHION TO HELP SOURCE CRITICAL
AID DURING THE PANDEMIC.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> IF YOU LOOK IN MY SHOP,
THERE’S NOTHING HERE THAT IS THE
COLOR WHITE OR NATURAL.
IT DOESN’T STAY IN THAT NATURAL
STATE FOR VERY LONG.
>> AMY YOUNG IS THE CREATIVE
FORCE.
>> UPCYCLE, LOVINGLY RE-IMAGINED
GROUP OF VINTAGE OUT OF
ALBUQUERQUE
ALBUQUERQUE.
>> Reporter: LOVINGLY UPCYCLED?
>> YES.
WE FIND VINTAGE AND REIMAGINING
WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE.
>> Reporter: SHORTLY BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC, AMY BEGAN TO REIMAGINE
HER OWN LIFE AND DECIDED TO MOVE
FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO NEW
MEXICO.
>> I BELONG TO THE NAVAJO TRIBE.
I WAS ADOPTED OUT AT BIRTH, SO I
NEVER REALLY KNEW WHAT IT WAS
LIKE TO LIVE ON THE LAND WHERE
MY TRIPE IS FROM.-- TRIBE IS FRO
>> Reporter: WHAT DID IT FEEL
LIKE TO BE THERE AFTER YOU MADE
THE DECISION TO MOVE?
WHAT’D IT FEEL LIKE TO YOU?
>> FEELS LIKE A COMING HOME.
I WAS ADOPTED INTO A LOVING,
BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.
SO MY CHILDHOOD WAS SO SPECIAL
BUT DEFINITELY NOT CONNECTED TO
MY CULTURE.
THEN I HAD THIS BEAUTIFUL CAREER
IN FASHION WHERE I’VE TRAVELLED
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THEN I GOT THIS BEAUTIFUL TIME
OF BEING A MOTHER.
NOW, IT’S THE TIME WHERE I FEEL
LIKE ALL OF THAT EXPERIENCE HAS
COME FULL CIRCLE INTO WHO I AM
AND WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER.
>> Reporter: WHEN COVID-19
SPREAD ACROSS THE NAVAJO NATION,
AMY KNEW SHE HAD TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT SHE COULD OFFER, AND FAST.
>> THAT’S REALLY HOW THE COMMAND
CENTER STARTED HERE, WAS ME AND
A BUNCH OF OTHER MATRIARCH MOMS
FROM MY TRIBE GETTING TOGETHER
AND THINKING, OKAY, HOW CAN WE
DELIVER PPE?
HOW CAN WE DELIVER FOOD?
HOW CAN WE DO THINGS THAT ARE
GOING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY?
>> Reporter: YOU USED THE SKILL
SET THAT YOU HAD FROM YOUR
FASHION CAREER, AND IT WAS
ACTUALLY A GOOD FIT FOR SOURCING
CRITICAL AID.
TELL ME WHAT YOU DID.
>> IT IS CRAZY HOW MUCH
SIMILARITY IT IS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE TERMS
IN FASHION, OF QUICK TURN, SPEED
TO MARKET, AND PIVOT, ALL THOSE
THREE THINGS ARE EXACTLY THE
SKILL SET YOU NEED TO BE WORKING
ON CRITICAL AID.
BECAUSE AS THE VIRUS MOVED, SO
DID WE.
>> Reporter: USING FABRIC
DONATED FROM AMY’S PREVIOUS
CLIENTS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY,
THEY QUICKLY PRODUCED MASKS FOR
THE NAVAJO NATION.
>> WE WORKED WITH ANOTHER
INDIGENOUS DESIGNER, BETHANY AND
HER TEAM, WHERE WE ACTUALLY
CONVERTED FABRIC THAT WAS JUST
BASIC WASTE INTO CIVILIAN PPE.
>> Reporter: TO FUNDRAISE, AMY
TRANSFORMED PART OF HER ONLINE
SHOP INTO AN AUCTIONARY THAT
RAISED MORE THAN $500,000.
>> WE ACTUALLY GET DONATIONS
FROM ARTISTS, FROM MAKERS, AND
THEY’VE ACTUALLY DONATED
BEAUTIFUL PIECES, WHETHER IT’S
PAINTINGS OR JEWELRY.
WE’VE BEEN SELLING THAT WITH
100% OF THE PROCEEDS GOING BACK
TO CRITICAL AID.
>> WE HAVE TRAIL MIX.
>> Reporter: THEY PARTNERED WITH
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN, A
NON-PROFIT, TO DISTRIBUTE MORE
THAN 40,000 RAINBOW BOXES FOR
NAVAJO CHILDREN, FULL OF FOOD,
PPE, AND BOOKS, WITH MONEY
RAISED THROUGH A CELEBRITY
CONCERT.
>> WELCOME TO VOICES.
>> IT IS JOYFUL.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS
NEEDED, AND IT IS ALL CROWD
FUNDED.
IT’S JUST A BEAUTIFUL THING TO
SEE, LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE COMING
TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THIS CAUSE.
>> Reporter: AFTER A CAREER IN
FASHION, BECOMING A MOTHER AND
OWNING HER OWN BUSINESS, AMY
SAYS GIVING BACK TO HER
COMMUNITY IS TRULY HER NEXT
CHAPTER.
>> THAT’S THE JOY THAT I CAN’T
EVEN DESCRIBE, WHAT THAT FEELS
LIKE.
TO BE ABLE TO GIVE OPPORTUNITY,
TO GIVE UP YOURSELF TO BE OF
SERVICE, IT’S WHAT WE’RE MEANT
TO DO AS HUMANS.
WE’RE ALL TOGETHER.
WE HAVE TO BE HERE FOR EACH
OTHER.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE,
MAKING A DENT IN THIS?
>> I THINK ANYBODY THAT CREATES
POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE WORLD
MAKES A DENT.
WHEN YOU WAKE UP EVERY DAY, IF
YOU DECIDE TO CREATE POSITIVE
LIGHT IN THE WORLD, IT’S GOING
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
>> SHE WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL
PERSON.
I DO A LOT OF INTERVIEWS, AND
SOMETIMES WHEN I’M FINISHED, YOU
GO, WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL
PERSON.
SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL LADY.
I SAID THAT 20 TIMES.
ALL RIGHT.
TODAY, THE TRIBE DISTRIBUTED
MORE THAN 300,000 REUSEABLE AND
DISPOSABLE MASKS AND SENT OUT
42,000 RAINBOW BOXES TO NAVAJO
NATION CHILDREN.
I JUST -- YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO
MANY PEOPLE WE’VE TALKED WITH
WHO, YOU KNOW, AFTER THEIR KIDS
GRADUATE, THEY’RE HOME BY THEP S
THEMSELVES, THEY SAY, IT IS TIME
TO DO WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO.
>> DOING THINGS FOR OTHERS.
>> SHE PICKED UP HER LIFE, MOVED