Aerie, the women's lingerie and lifestyle retailer that has staked its mission on empowering women to love themselves as they are, is now taking its message of support one step further by pouring $400,000 into helping leaders make improvements in their own communities.
The company announced eight new #AerieREAL Role Models on Thursday along with 20 changemakers who will each receive $20,000 grants to benefit their work.
"We're doing so much at Aerie, and I think the fact that we're actually giving people the money, and also the investment of our energy, our time, and our platforms is something that no one else is doing," said Iskra Lawrence, a fashion model who was named an Aerie Role Model in 2016.
The company, which began shifting its brand messaging to encourage women to "love your real self — inside and out" in 2014 when it stopped airbrushing photos, is "standing for something," Jen Foyle, Aerie global brand president told Cheddar.
Among the new Role Models named this year are Tony-winner Ali Stroker, actress Lana Condor, and DJ Tiff McFierce.
"It's been really fun mentoring the girls," Lawrence said. "It is a community. It's not just the Role Models. We spread that community to our customers as well."
"We keep looking forward," Foyle said. "What can we do different? Because, like I said, our competition is now following. We have to lead and there's so much more to talk about."
Much like all the upheaval shaking the world, the huge swings rocking Wall Street may feel far from normal. But, for investing at least, this is normal.
Joe Cecela, Dream Exchange CEO, explains how they are aiming to form the first minority-controlled company to operate an exchange in U.S. history. Watch!
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
