“Gives a Damn”
THE DIARY 02: LINGUA FRANCA
You never know where good ideas come from. Take Rachelle Hruska McPherson for instance, who, following the advice of her therapist on how to combat post-partum depression decided to follow the steps of her grandma Rita- a fanatic embroiderer- and embroidered the word “BOOYAH” onto a cashmere sweater. Then, as one does, posted it on Instagram and, voila!, Lingua Franca was born. “There was no grand plan, no big idea,”, says the designer and entrepreneur who previously was the CEO of the popular party and society site Guest of a Guest.
Words have power, even if they are just embroidered on a sweater. That’s why we love Lingua Franca, which uses its sustainably-sourced, fair trade luxury cashmere sweaters to spread messages que that go from the merely well-intended- “Love Rules!”- to the social and even political, like a collection calling for “Equality” or the “Not Today Patriarchy” sweater (sold out!.) The company teams with a series or rotating causes and organizations, donating part of their earnings to “Emerge America”, for instance, an entity that recruits and trains black Democratic women to run for office, or creating a collection with the only intent of saving the Unites States Postal Service via vote.org.
June 2020 PRIDE capsule collection 20% proceeds donated to the LGBT Community Center of NYC.
“Give a damn” . . . at the heart of Lingua Franca and their mission.
The company works under the rules of sustainability and fair trade and pays “living wage” to a little army of embroiderers, all women living in NYC. Besides being fashionable and irresistibly cute, Lingua Franca has a social and political spirit that is literally stitched in many of its products. Under the slogan “Give a Damn!” the company has raised over a million dollars for causes that range from Marriage Equality to Peace for Ukraine.
From all these limited collections, two got our special attention: First, EDUCATE, a line that supports The Education Trust an organization “that aims to eliminate the gaps in equity and opportunity that hold back too many students, especially those who are low-income or students of color, so that all students can achieve at high levels.”
Amref Health Africa Benefit Pitchers via Amref Health Africa
LF + A.I.M. by KYLE ABRAHAM - one of three co-designed sweaters with
MacArthur award-winning choreographer and Artistic Director of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham.
Second, the LF + A.I.M. by KYLE ABRAHAM, created in collaboration with the New York choreographer and Artistic Director whose company examines black history and culture through dance. “The work, informed by and made in conjunction with artists across a range of disciplines, entwines a sensual and provocative vocabulary with a strong emphasis on music, text, video, and visual art,” explains the Lingua Franca site. The sweaters are emblazoned with lines like “Be Grateful” or “Un Untitled Love.”
Resistance Revival Chorus in March of 2018 celebrating International Women’s Day
Learn more about Lingua Franca and its work at www.linguafranca.nyc
