
TURTLENECK + SLIP DRESS: WOLFORD BODYSUIT, goop, $250; VINCE DRESS, Vince, $295
Soft Cashmere,
Slow Food + the
Non-Profit
That’s
Bringing Gardening
to Public Schools
In partnership with our friends at
“I feel the most alive when I’m activating my senses—smell, taste, touch, and sound,” says Ashleigh Parsons, who got her master’s in human development and psychology at Harvard and cofounded Alma restaurant before branching out on her own. For Parsons, activating those senses typically happens on trips to the farmers’ market, when she’s chopping vegetables in the kitchen, or when she’s sharing a meal at the dinner table.
It was in fact the healing and communal power of food that inspired Parsons to start Akasa, a nonprofit that creates wellness curricula in partnership with public schools in low-income communities across LA. It’s now in its sixth year, and Parsons and her small but mighty team of agriculturalists, chefs, and educators teach classes out of a garden in the central courtyard of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. Students get their hands dirty harvesting carrots, radishes, and lettuce from the beds of the garden before going into the kitchen and learning easy recipes they can make at home. Currently, Akasa—which means “sky” or “limitless being” in Pali—works with three schools and one foundation on the Eastside and reaches almost 200 students a week.
For Parsons, satisfaction comes from the students—and their parents—who are given shopping lists and learn about, say, the nutritional value of lentils. But Parsons insists the benefits are mutual: “I think Akasa has helped me as much as the students.”
In light of the devastating fires that have raged across California, Vince is partnering with Akasa and The California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund, two local organizations that seek to enrich the local community. On December 8 and 9, Vince will donate a portion of proceeds from sales in California stores to support the tireless work of both of these organizations.
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“I’m on the go a lot, so for me, fashion is strictly about functionality—details like thoughtfully placed seams, working buttons, or a pattern that just elevates an outfit. I
also gravitate toward the simplicity of wide-leg trousers paired with a T-shirt and sneakers.” -
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SILK BLOUSE + WIDE-LEGS
VINCE TOP, Vince, $325; ROKSANDA PANTS, goop, $1,005; ADIDAS BY RAF SIMONS SNEAKERS, goop, $300
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CAMISOLE + HIGH-WAISTED PANTS
VINCE TOP, Vince, $195; G. LABEL KELLY SATIN WIDE-LEG TROUSERS, goop, $595; KATKIM EAR PIN, goop, $1,220
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“When I moved to San Francisco in 2008, I began visiting farmers’ markets and cooking with friends. The sheer color range of the produce, the relationships with the farmers, and the romance of walking through the market have stuck with me.”
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“As a society, we move so fast that I think it’s pertinent we slow down, we cook, and we eat. It’s just a matter of returning to our roots. There’s nothing like coming together over a shared meal.”
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OVERSIZE KNIT + METALLIC MIDI
VINCE SWEATER, goop, $395; VINCE SKIRT, goop, $265; VEJA SNEAKERS, goop, $155
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SOFT SEPARATES + COLOR-BLOCKED BAG
VINCE SWEATER, Vince, $375; KHAITE PANTS, goop, $1,080;
ADIDAS BY RAF SIMONS SNEAKERS, goop, $300; YUZEFI BAG, goop, $715
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“With the holidays upon us, I’m craving my sister’s version of Suzanne Goin’s cooking—especially her take on the rancho gordo beans with sage. She also makes a ridiculous smashed potato that she refers to as grown-up tater tots.”
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FEMININE DRESS + TOUGH BOOTS
MARINA MOSCONE DRESS, Marina Moscone, $1,550; ATP ATELIER BOOTS, goop, $378
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LIGHT BASE LAYER + RELAXED SWEATER
VINCE TURTLENECK, Vince, $125; ACNE STUDIOS SWEATER, goop Lab Brentwood, $390; TIBI PANTS, goop, $330; KATKIM EARRING, goop, $720; HIROTAKA EAR CUFF, goop, $585
SHOP THE STORY
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VINCE SKIRT
goop, $265 -
VINCE PULLOVER
goop, $265 -
khaite pants
goop, $1,080 -
VINCE tunic
goop, $395 -
roksanda pants
goop, $1,005 -
hirotaka earrings
goop, $800 -
Vince sweater
Vince, $375 -
veja sneakers
goop, $155 -
VINCE coat
Vince, $695 -
g. label kelly satin wide-leg trousers
goop, $595 -
vince dress
Vince, $295 -
yuzefi bag
goop, $715