Empowerment can come in many forms, and fashion can serve as an important public expression of it. What we wear says a lot about us, especially in terms of slogans and statements. L.A.-based clothing brand Beautiful Disaster was created with this in mind. They position their designs as a movement and a tribe beyond their merch, encouraging strength and “a rebel spirit”  in the face of adversity and daily life struggles, via statment-driven clothing with a dark yet cute aesthetic. They also aim to give back directly to women. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and as it comes to a close, we connected with the company’s head, Christina DuVarney, who explains her goals to help women and bring awareness. All proceeds from the sale of a specially designed t-shirt have been directly donated to domestic violence survivors this month. The campaign is still accepting stories from customers as well as nominees.
Beautiful Disaster

(Courtesy Beautiful Disaster)

LA WEEKLY: How did Beautiful Disaster come about?

CHRISTINA DUVARNEY: From a very young age,  I had a hard time connecting to trendy clothing brands and nothing ever felt like it was right for me. I always had an understanding that what we wore was a reflection of who we are. Looking back, this was the very beginning of my career path towards creating a brand of clothing that had deep meaning for whomever was wearing it. Beautiful Disaster truly took shape as a Women Empowerment Brand after the tragic loss of the person closest to me, my cousin and absolute best friend, Kate. I knew that life was too short to not pursue your dreams and knew I wanted to be at the forefront of positive changes in this world.

How do you strive to stand out in the competitive t-shirt and casual clothing market?

[We’re] more than a clothing brand. We are an identity. Hundreds of thousands of women across the globe identify as Beautiful Disasters and, for the first time in many of their lives, feel a sense of validation and belonging. I feel that Beautiful Disaster Clothing is a disruptor, not only in the apparel industry, but in the area of self-acceptance. Society wants us to wear a certain luxury brand to represent our value or virtue signaling some sort of status class and I think that is harmful to society, and women in general. We disrupt that pattern. When you wear Beautiful Disaster, you are a walking visual reminder to yourself and others that we all have a story and are not ashamed of our past mistakes.

Christina Duvarney

Christina DuVarney (Courtesy Beautiful Disaster)

What are your most popular designs and why?

Something unique about Beautiful Disaster is that each of our collections are based around a powerful quote and concept. Time and time again, our Phoenix and You Don’t Know My Story Collections resonate strongly with our tribe. For those of you who may not be familiar with the legend of the Phoenix, our Phoenix Collection talks about undergoing so much pain and hurt that we are physically broken down to ashes, to dust, but that very pain ignites a single spark within us that sets our entire soul on fire, leading us to emerge as the powerful Phoenix.

Tell us about Domestic Violence Awareness Month and how you wanted to help.

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our brand created a limited edition domestic violence butterfly tee, featuring a purple Butterfly, to honor those who have experienced Domestic Violence. 100% of the proceeds from this campaign are being donated to survivors of Domestic Violence in the Beautiful Disaster Tribe. We created a landing page on our website where survivors can share their story or nominate someone else for the chance to be a recipient of the financial gifts from this campaign. Beautiful Disasters know sharing their story of survival will no doubt be powerful, heartbreaking and inspiring. We understand the importance of using our platform for good and bringing awareness to this cause. On our social media, we have also given survivors a platform to share advice and resources to those who may be facing similar situations.
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More info at BDrocks.com.
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If you or someone you know is dealing with Domestic Violence, there are resources that can help. Go to No Domestic Violence LA for more info.

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