Surf, Skate, Street Fashion for Charity
Surf, skate and street fashions were made for sports and good times, but Kevin Murray is interested in skate and street brands that also raise money to help the needy.
Murray will debut his United Artist Network and Beautiful Feet lines at the MAGIC Marketplace’s S.L.A.T.E. show, which runs Aug. 22–24 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Part of the labels’ revenues will be earmarked for nonprofit organizations.
These two new labels join Murray’s Jedidiah and MusiCares brands, which donate funds to worthy causes.
The MusiCares Foundation helps musicians dealing with healthcare emergencies and sobriety issues.
Jedidiah has raised more than $600,000 for nonprofits in the last five years, Murray said. This year, Jedidiah created the Heal the Heartland T-shirts to raise funds for residents in Midwestern and Southern states ravaged by April’s powerful tornadoes and floods. The T-shirts were sold at The Buckle retail chain and Jedidiah’s website.
When an earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan in March, the label designed T-shirts with design company Bulldog Drummond to raise funds for disaster relief there. These shirts were sold at Nordstrom and other retailers and raised more than $40,000, the company said.
On July 1, Jedidiah announced it started a partnership with Stand Up For Kids, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that provides assistance for homeless youth.
All these labels come under the company’s Made For Good umbrella. They are designed and headquartered at KJM Enterprises, a 27-year-old screenprinting, apparel manufacturing and distribution company founded by Murray in San Diego’s Miramar section.
United Artist Network will bear the graphics of emerging artists. Beautiful Feet will be made in partnership with footwear maker Cobian, which will make the label’s sandals. Made For Good will manufacture the label’s apparel, which is inspired by the surfers of the 1970s.
All the brands offer T-shirts, woven shirts, fleece and outerwear. Beautiful Feet also has boardshorts in its collection. Wholesale price points range from $12 for some tees to $50 for some outerwear.—Andrew Asch
