Disco Panda
I haven't talked much about my Disco Panda, my kid's clothing line that I launched this past Fall. It's been such a huge and time consuming part of my life, which is largely why I haven't been posting here on Tour de STFU as much :'( But I have had so many exciting things happen with the line in the past few months, so...
Here, who we are, what we do, plus watch our Fall 17 RTW fashion show!
ABOUT ASH SMITH
Ash Smith’s strong belief in the power of social activism to affect change, coupled with a degree in design from FIDM, Los Angeles led her to launch her socially conscious children’s clothing line, Disco Panda, in 2016. An advocate for “style with substance,” the native Angeleno designer draws influence from street, non-conformist and gender-neutral style. Her favorite color is black.
ABOUT DISCO PANDA
Los Angeles-based Disco Panda is a modern, bespoke and hand-made children’s clothing label made with an affection for peace, kindness and unity.
With a focus on clean, playful design and a monochromatic palette, our clothing is made for kid's who fight for their rights and spread a message of inclusion and love.
Through the fusion of fashion and social activism, designer Ash Smith aims to foster and support the next generation of children and mini activists, who live in an evermore color-blind world, breaking both gender norms and stereotypes, while working towards a more peaceful, equal world for all of us.
Here at Disco Panda, we believe in raising our voices, rising to the occasion and giving back to the world in a positive way.
FALL 17: COLLECTION
An autumn picnic protest… for peace.
Armed with passion and love, our mini-activists head back-to-school to gain the knowledge they’ll need to one day change the world. They spend their waning late afternoon days in the sun dreaming of and planning for their collective future, celebrating the tapestry of their friendships and fighting for the greater good. A day at the park turns to a community gathering of great minds, radical openness and united spirits and finds these future leaders setting an example of kindness, leadership and peace.
#PinkOut for Planned Parenthood
I #pinkout for Planned Parenthood today because #istandwithpp! Because without it, 2.5 million women wouldn’t have access to high quality, affordable healthcare. Because not having access to birth control perpetuates poverty. Because deciding to have, or not have, a child is the biggest decision a woman will ever make for their future, their education, their dreams, their financial situation. Because having access to affordable, quality health services is vital for women to achieve their full potential and optimal health. Because I am part the resistance- and the resistance is PP.
BECAUSE IT’S OUR BODY AND OUR CHOICE. BECAUSE WOMEN'S HEALTH IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT IS GENDER EQUALITY.
Happy International Women's Day!
Happy International Women's Day and Day Without A Woman! I don't have anything red at the moment to wear in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman, but I am rocking my Feminist Tee (it's Disco Panda- and you can buy it here) so I feel like it's all good. I'm also working today even though we aren't supposed to because I'm a "girl boss", I'm in fittings all day today for my Disco Panda Fall 17 show for Style Fashion Week that I was, unfortunately, not able to make the women's march in downtown either. I am super bummed because you know I hate missing these things, but it's an important show for me and my brand so I feel okay with it.
I drove over an hour to my fittings. I cried the whole way- because you know, that's how I do. I feel moved by the energy that is circulating in the world with all the demonstrations and show of solidarity happening across the country and the globe. But I'm also so sad for women- women living on $1 a day, women hungry because they will give the only food they have to their children, women of color suffering because their children are being gunned down in the streets by police, immigrant women having their families torn apart and their children sent back to live in unsafe places, refugee women being turned away with their children in hand, women facing domestic violence, women who are victims of sexual assault being shamed with no justice in sight.
Thank you to those standing in solidarity with women and fighting for equality, justice and peace in this world. Keep fighting, keep loving, stay loud.
xx
Ash
Weekly Action Alerts- 2.26
This week, you'll be standing up for immigrants and our LGBTQ friends, and amping up to participate in "A Day Without A Woman".
The Simplest, Healthiest Thing You Can Do For Your Body
This one health tip has a wide array of health benefits...and it's so simple it's almost dumb not to do it.
Hitting Refresh On The Slip Dress
I am still really loving the slip dress. It's ease, comfort, prettiness and versatility is second to none. But considering that the slip dress fully took over last Spring, and then continued it's reign with the slip layered over t-shirt look as the number one worn outfit of the season, I definitely needed a refreshing way to wear my collection of the popular and pretty dress.
Weekly Action Alert- 2.13
Our very first Weekly Action Alert is all about getting to know yourself, those
representing you, and what you feel most passionately about fighting for. Plus,
sign one very important petition!
Evening For Day
You know all those great evening pieces you have tucked away in your closet that you are just waiting for the opportunity to wear? Go ahead and bring them out, because evening for day is officially a (super rad) thing. Here, how to rock your fancy pieces while the sun is still up.
Weekly Action Alerts
You all know how important my activism and charity is to me, and how strongly I believe in the importance of each of us doing our part to make our world a better place for everyone and everything living in. As Alice Walker put it, "activism is our rent for living on this planet".
We can not rely on others to to fight our fight. We must not sit on our hands and expect other people to stand up for the oppressed and the silenced, to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice, to fight for peace and to solve the problems we face in this world. We especially cannot rely on our government. We must get out there as individuals and do the work ourselves. And we should never fall into the trap of thinking that we, as individuals, don't make a difference or impact the bigger picture. It is the collective force of average people like you or I that produces the most power, the most change. After all, we are stronger together.
It's so important to get involved, stay active and make our voices heard, especially given our current political climate. I get a lot of emails with questions from people who want to do more, so I'm super excited to be starting a new series called WEEKLY ACTION ALERTS, where I will put together a few different ways each week to take action on important issues. I will highlight different organizations and charities, petitions to sign, important phone calls you can make, upcoming protests, and more!
Peace and love,
Ash
Relevant Reads:
The Busy Girl's Guide: To Being Charitable
Feeling Broken By The Election? Here's What You Can Do About It
How To Help Preserve Your Reproductive Rights
We can not rely on others to to fight our fight. We must not sit on our hands and expect other people to stand up for the oppressed and the silenced, to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice, to fight for peace and to solve the problems we face in this world. We especially cannot rely on our government. We must get out there as individuals and do the work ourselves. And we should never fall into the trap of thinking that we, as individuals, don't make a difference or impact the bigger picture. It is the collective force of average people like you or I that produces the most power, the most change. After all, we are stronger together.
It's so important to get involved, stay active and make our voices heard, especially given our current political climate. I get a lot of emails with questions from people who want to do more, so I'm super excited to be starting a new series called WEEKLY ACTION ALERTS, where I will put together a few different ways each week to take action on important issues. I will highlight different organizations and charities, petitions to sign, important phone calls you can make, upcoming protests, and more!
Peace and love,
Ash
Relevant Reads:
The Busy Girl's Guide: To Being Charitable
Feeling Broken By The Election? Here's What You Can Do About It
How To Help Preserve Your Reproductive Rights
How To Dress Like A Woman
President Donald Trump reportedly prefers his employees to stick to a specific dress code—including the request for his female employees to "dress like women". Here, some of the brilliant ways social media showcased what it means to #dresslikeawoman.
Gingham & Self Confidence
The only way to truly love anyone or anything else is by loving yourself first, and knowing you are beautiful, brilliant, worthy and talented in your own right is essential. But if this is as deeply as we look, I believe we will always come up empty handed in the end when it comes to confidence and self-love.
All About Pink
2016 was the year of rich camel but 2017 has something with more of a punch in mind. This year, we are bidding adieu to retrained camel and opting for joyous, calming, more exciting shades of pink. Here, the surprising psychology of the color, plus all the street style inspo you need!
No Ban, No Wall
The gathering at airports around the nation the last couple of days in protest to the Muslim Ban have been nothing short of inspiring, and a clear message that the people will fight every attempt to instill hate in this country. The executive order Trump signed Friday suspended resettlement of Syrian refugees indefinitely, suspended all other refugee resettlement for 120 days, and banned the entry of nationals from predominately Muslim countries- Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen- for 90 days.
Trump's anti-Muslim policy is first and foremost unconstitutional. One of the principal beliefs of which our country was founded is that we have freedom of belief. The ban violates the first Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from preferring or disfavoring any religion, as well as the Equal Protection Clause, the part of the Fourteenth Amendment that guarantees that everyone is entitled to equal protection under the law.
Beyond being illegal, Trump's Muslim Ban is immoral and inhumane. He is turning away refugees- families, women and children- that have managed to survive a brutal civil war and are at risk of being killed. Closing our borders to anyone, let alone some of the most vulnerable people in the world is outrageous.
I hope that other cities across the nation follow suit and that we can collectively refuse Trump's illegal and inhumane immigration policies, and instead opt for inclusiveness and respect for individual rights, and stand together to fight for our Muslim brothers and sisters and those that seek refuge from the horrors that face them at home.
I have been hysterical the last couple of days over this brutal ban accompanied by those who were detained. But I continue to be so moved by how we have been banning together in such large numbers in resistance to hate and in support of those being attacked. As sad and as anxious as I find myself consistently these days, you all really act as a big shoulder to lean on, and proof that there is hope so long as we continue to fight. We are better than this, and we must continue to rise up and demand that our country lives up it's ideals, our individual ideals, of inclusiveness and equality for all. Refugees and immigrants are welcome here!
Thank you to the ACLU for your work in blocking this ban, to all the attorneys working pro bono to fight for those detained, and thank YOU for your continued activism. Stay loud!
Piers Morgan Did Not Attend The Women's March & His Reasons Really Piss Me Off
My thoughts about the negative sentiment that has been surrounding the Women's March and feminism itself.
