To our beautiful community,
Earlier this spring when COVID-19 began to change our way of life, we wrote to you saying we knew we would come through this stronger by standing together. That vision isn’t just something we believe in during times of crisis, but a mantra we repeat to ourselves in every corner of our small business. Then, our nation was rocked by the killing of George Floyd, and we saw our country stand together in the streets, protesting systemic racism and saying: Black Lives Matter. This past spring, you proved to us that even in challenging, uncertain, and unprecedented times like these, we will always persevere when we stand together. We will stand together to stay safe, to stay healthy, and to protect each other. We will stand together to fight for justice.
It has been a spring of transformational change for all of us, and it’s just the beginning. Change isn’t always comfortable, and it’s not always neat. It requires both a gentleness and a toughness — both an introspection and an outer action. At KIM+ONO, we have begun that transformational change as a company and as individuals. And we wanted to say thank you for helping us, supporting us, and joining us in that change.
So here is a big, heartfelt THANK YOU to you, our customers. You have continued to support our brand, and because of that, KIM+ONO has been able to give back to our community all year long. We partnered with a local coffee shop, Andytown, to deliver coffee and treats to frontline workers and healthcare heroes at the respiratory unit at ZSFG. We also partnered with SF New Deal to support our neighboring ecosystem within SF Chinatown. The non-profit helped arrange the order and delivery of meals from Capital Restaurant to the women and children at Gum Moon Womens' Residence Hall. We donated 1000 masks to a nursing home in Redwood City. Not to mention, we were able to give away kimono robes over Mother’s Day and in care packages through a collaboration with Stephanie Weizman @stephweizman. Every purchase you made this spring made it possible for us to help those in our community with food and resources, and we can’t say thank you enough for helping to make that happen.
When protests erupted all over the country, and our citizens took to the streets to say Black Lives Matter, our team at KIM+ONO knew we wanted to contribute in a variety of ways. When we told you we wanted to put our money where our hearts are to say Black Lives Matter, you joined us. We put out a call on our Instagram post for our followers to comment with a heart and we’d match each heart with a $1 donation to the NAACP. 175 of you added a heart and we’ve donated $250 to the NAACP on your behalf.
Additionally, our small 10 person team has been discussing, reading, and actively working on our own company culture to not just be “not racist”, but actively anti-racist. While doing this work, we’ve collectively chosen the following groups to donate to:
Campaign Zero
Black Women’s Blueprint
Project Nia
These organizations help the fight against police brutality, empower Black women and girls, and work to end the incarceration of children and young adults.n total, KIM+ONO has donated $1000 to the organizations listed above.
At KIM+ONO, our mission has always been to create an empowered, safe, uplifted space for women to shine like the queens they are. And our commitment to that mission includes donating to organizations that fight racial injustice, continuing to create images that honor the diversity of our country, continuing to work with a diverse group of artists behind the scenes, educating ourselves on how to practice anti-racism and true allyship, and looking inwardly to challenge any pattern that doesn’t align with our belief that every man and woman is created equal.
We know that real change for social justice is an ongoing effort and practice. We will continue to do the personal work necessary for our community to feel fully supported on every level. Our mission has always been to make every woman feel beautiful, confident, and loved in her own skin, and we are more committed than ever to making that mission a reality.
Not only did you help us to give back to our community with your support, but you helped keep our employees at work. While we had to temporarily close our brick and mortar store due to shelter in place order, we were able to keep our online team working. Our orders processing team continues to take every safety precaution to show up to work and make sure your orders ship out in a timely fashion. Our design team continues to develop new kimono styles based on your feedback. Our customer service team continues to answer all of your questions. And now, as our kimono store in Chinatown, SF opens back up, our store team can come back to their jobs. Our team can continue to stand together because you have stood by us. You have our gratitude!
And beyond that, we have seen you stand by each other. When we asked for nominations for our Mother’s Day Giveaway, we were blown away by your stories of incredible mothers and frontline workers. Reading your stories lifted our hearts and buoyed our spirits. Learning about how these incredible women who continue to give back made it even more paramount that we follow their example and do the same.
So to reiterate: THANK YOU. We know that we’ll come out of this spring stronger because we have stood together. You have proven that to us tenfold and we can’t come close to expressing the deep and profound gratitude we feel for each and every one of you.
Stay safe. Be well.
X,
Tiffany and Renee
