Natalia Vodianova Launched a Charity App, and We Love It

Speaking at Apple’s Soho location on Prince Street, Vodianova talked about the power of giving back and how to promote fundraising in a way that’s both engaging and accessible. The fashion celebrity posted photos from the event, one post showing a packed house — and a few celebrity guests. Naomi Campbell and Doutzen Kroes attended the panel, both of whom do their own charity work; Campbell routinely hosts events and walks the runway to benefit organizations like Fashion for Relief and her charity battling poverty in Brazil, and Kroes is the spokesperson for the Elephant Crisis Fund.

Elbi makes it easier to support causes you care about, in whatever amount of time or money you can afford. You can follow the work of charities on the app and discover new organizations related to causes you care about, then donate directly to earn “lovecoins” a rewards system that gives you points.

Vodianova has said that the app’s target demographic is socially-conscious millennials.

“The idea came from frustration,” Vodianova told Business of Fashion. “There are a lot of people working on doing something and we hear sporadically about it on Facebook and Instagram, but there is not one place where all those voices can be heard. If you Google how you can help a crisis, you are directed to big organizations, like Unicef and Save the Children. There are a lot of smaller charities that can probably affect change a lot faster than the bigger ones.”

The “lovecoins” users can earn then can be spent in the “Elbi LoveShop”, which features unique-to-the-app products from brands like Christian Louboutin, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, and more. “It’s enhancing transparency,” Tim Blanks, editor-at-large of BoF’s conference VOICES, said. “They are buying products from companies whose corporate integrity they can trust. Today, young people value not only their money — they value their time.”