Fundraiser Supports Hills Woman's Quest to 'Clothe the World'

On Friday, Farmington Hills resident Mallory Brown will leave for Peru with more clothing than one person would ever need.

Brown will deliver T-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants to people in need there, all collected through her nonprofit organization, World Clothes Line (WCL). The 2004 graduate of opened the virtual doors of her business in September and is well on her way to fulfilling a personal mission to "clothe the world, one village at a time."

To help make that possible, World Clothes Line will hold its first fundraiser, in partnership with The Hungry Dudes, from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday at Forest Grill in Birmingham. Tickets cost $30 per person at worldclotheslinecharitynight.eventbrite.com or $35 at the door. The event will include appetizers and wine, WCL merchandise and a silent auction with items from local artists, The Townsend Hotel, Emagine Theaters, The Hungry Dudes and more.

Brown's vision for the charity emerged as she traveled the world after she earned degrees in business and French at Albion College. She hopped from job to job in the film, music and media businesses, "which is natural in those industries," she said.

"In between those jobs, I was able to travel and explore," Brown said. "I went backpacking. I saw life as the average person who lives in those countries sees it."

That meant staying in hostels and eating food sold by street vendors. And seeing many, many people in need. "Those experiences are really what inspired me," she said. "I was always asked for my clothes."

After her last trip in the summer of 2009, Brown decided it was time to do something. In January 2010, she officially founded World Clothes Line. The company sells American Apparel clothing, silk-screened by Create My Tee, which is based in Ann Arbor. For each item sold, a similar item is donated in Peru, Indonesia or the U.S.

For an extra $10 donation, shoppers can track their gifts. They receive information about the recipient, complete with photos. Tracking has become popular; one in four customers chooses that option, Brown said.

She said she chose the foreign countries because in her travels, she made contacts who can help carry out her mission. Making those connections with people in other countries, she said, helped her understand that people are all basically the same. "We are all alike more than we are different," she said.

While she volunteered for the American Cancer Society and did community service as a member of Farmington High's National Honor Society, Brown was not particularly focused on volunteering in her life.

"I guess I've always had a giving spirit, it just developed more as I got older," she said. Brown has "big plans" to expand the company, which has already grown a lot in the six months since WCL opened its virtual doors, she said.

"It's been amazing. We've had such support, I feel like this idea has a lot of potential," she said. That growth has come largely through word-of-mouth advertising and use of social media, Brown added. World Clothes Line has a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

Brown's family has also been supportive; her sister, Randin, also a Farmington High grad, will accompany her to Peru this week.

World Clothes Line is a full-time endeavor, one to which Brown has made a full commitment. She intends to make this philanthropic business her career.

"I'm hoping this is it, for forever," she said.

Learn more at worldclothesline.com. For tickets to the Wednesday's fundraiser, visit worldclotheslinecharitynight.eventbrite.com.