New Zealanders Gabrielle Mirkin, Luke Harwood, and their children Tallulah and Cisco, have lost their family home in the devastating Los Angeles fires. Photo / GoFundMe
New Zealanders Gabrielle Mirkin, Luke Harwood, and their children Tallulah and Cisco, have lost their family home in the devastating Los Angeles fires. Photo / GoFundMe
Luke Harwood and Gabrielle Mirkin, formerly of Stolen Girlfriends Club and now Activist Mānuka, have lost their Los Angeles home.
A GoFundMe page to support the family has raised nearly US$50,000 of its US$65,000 goal.
The Los Angeles wildfires have caused extensive damage, with numerous homes and properties destroyed.
The founder of an popular Kiwi fashion brand has lost his home in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires while holidaying in New Zealand, with his family left “heartbroken and helpless”.
Luke Harwood, co-founder of renowned Stolen Girlfriends Club, his wife Gabrielle Mirkin, and their children, Tallulah and Cisco, lost their Topanga Canyon home to the Palisades fire on Wednesday night.
The family were in New Zealand at the time, preparing to return to the United States the following week.
Earlier in the week, neighbours had managed to save the home which previously was surrounded by lush bush, from advancing flames, but the fire reignited, ultimately razing the residence.
The property held sentimental value for the family, as it was where their children were born and where their business, Activist Mānuka, was established.
“Luke and Gabby are pillars of their Topanga community – kind, generous, and loving. Let’s rally around them and help them rebuild,” the page author wrote.
“Any donation, no matter the size, will make a difference. If you’re unable to donate, please share this campaign to spread the word.”
Formerly a pro surfer, Harwood co-founded Stolen Girlfriends Club in Auckland in 2005 with Dan Gosling and Marc Moore.
Harwood and Mirkin founded their honey brand "Activist Mānuka" in their Los Angeles-based home. Photo / GoFundMe
The brand has a global following, with collections featured in fashion shows and stocked internationally.
Together, Harwood and Mirkin co-founded Activist Mānuka, a business that produces premium, raw mānuka honey.
They have been based in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, for several years.
As of Monday, the GoFundMe page has raised US$49,905 ($89,670) of its US$65,000 target goal.
Despite massive firefighting efforts, the largest fire spread towards upmarket Brentwood and the densely populated San Fernando Valley, as winds up to 80km/h hit on Sunday, local time.
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