Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Russell.
So, Sam, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2011, I was leaving a client’s house in the Hollywood Hills. An actor that you may or may not have heard of; My profession of dressing talent for various TV, red carpet, advertising and editorial content brought me to Southern California in 1999. How a freckled faced, mixed raced kid from an average working-class Family in Austin Texas ended up in Stevie Wonder’s closet or window shopping with Sophia Bush is still a mystery to that little boy.
So, this client whose name I will not mention, kept hounding me that day for a pair of shoes on set that caught her eye. Despite the numerous clothing, shoes and not to mention services that I had donated over the years—-all was irrelevant. The more I said no to the request, the more she asked and pouted. The whole scene put a real bad taste in my mouth and while driving down the canyon from her multi-million-dollar home to my humble apartment in miracle mile really sparked a thought. Why am I a part of stroking her ego so much? Her reward for her hard work is in her lifestyle, why should she have all the fun exclusively? I’ve seen what a new handbag or pair of shoes can do for a celeb on the red carpet. But what could this do for a cancer survivor or a single mom in Detroit with no Hollywood contacts? What would a wardrobe boost normally reserved for the well-heeled in Los Angeles do for an outsider?
This simple daydream would the catalyst for new adventures and a journey into self-healing. The birth of Giving Closet had begun.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The biggest obstacles I faced was convincing my fashion contacts to help re-route a small portion of what they already gift to celebs to my Giving Closet women. I’ve had so many doors slammed in my face but have also been pleasantly surprised as to how many vendors want to get on board.
If you stroke someone’s ego too much, you strip them of their humanity. People are starting to wake up to that in the Hollywood landscape. Bad behavior is being less rewarded. It’s time to make room for good news.
Please tell us about Giving Closet.
My lucky and creative hands traveled with Stevie Wonder in 2009 for the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington DC. When at home in Los Angeles, you will catch glimpses of me running from showroom to showroom prepping for Geek Monthly magazine or actress Eve Mauro.
In my spare time, I write a travel column for Ventre magazine out of Denver. But my truest passion is finding stories of unique women that persevere and personalizing SURPRISE wardrobe boosts for their next chapters!. Giving Closet is here to prove that fashion does have a heart. This is my lane, happy to of course share it.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Not big into regrets. I am thankful for the highs and the lows of this journey. If you don’t have the dark, then you never know how to appreciate the light.
Contact Info:
- Address: Los Angeles
- Website: www.givingcloset.net
- Phone: 323-559-1285
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Karissa Campbell
Moshe Zusman Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
