30-05-2025
13cents: A Hoodie, a Hug and a Mission to Remind the World: 'You Matter'
13cents: A Hoodie, a Hug and a Mission to Remind the World: 'You Matter' originally appeared on L.A. Mag.
In 2007, my biological father died beneath a freeway overpass. Homeless. Unhoused. Battling addiction. He had nothing but a hoodie on his back and 13 cents in his pocket. That image has never left me.I didn't really know my father. He struggled with alcoholism and was never a safe or stable presence. I was, in many ways, spared the pain of his addiction because I wasn't raised by him — I was raised by a fiercely loving mother and a selflessly courageous stepfather I now call Dad. They gave me the foundation of love and strength I needed. Still, like many children of absent parents, I waited for him — hoped he'd wake up one day and find me. He didn't. Often, they don' death left questions — about pain, worth, love — that I still wrestle with today. But it also planted the seed for something bigger than grief. Something that could offer warmth, dignity and hope to someone else. That something became 13cents.
Our Mission Is Simple: You Buy a Hoodie, We Donate a HoodieEach hoodie purchased from 13cents directly results in a hoodie being donated to a local homeless shelter. It's more than clothing — it's a reminder to someone in crisis that they are seen. That they every hoodie, we've included a personal message — a quiet nod to the reason it exists. On the right sleeve, the words 'you matter' are printed as a soft whisper of encouragement. Because sometimes, that's all someone needs to keep going.
Why the Name 13cents?Because it's personal. It's literal. It's what my father had in his pocket when he passed. That small, simple detail has become the foundation of a movement. It's proof that even the smallest things — acts, items, gestures — can carry profound weight.
From Hairstylist to FounderFor over two decades, I poured myself into my craft as a hairstylist in Los Angeles. I built a career and opened RA_Hair House, a safe, inclusive space, where people come to feel beautiful and celebrated. I married a deeply supportive partner — my unicorn — and we're raising two beautiful children in a home full of love, balance and intentional the story of my father never stopped tugging at me. It took having my own kids to truly understand what he missed out on. That's a heartbreak I'll always carry. So I took that ache and turned it into action.
13cents Is What Healing Looks LikeThis brand is not just about hoodies. It's about connection. It's about rewriting the narrative of abandonment into one of community. It's about using fashion as a tool for compassion. I may have started out thinking, 'I'm not in fashion,' but I realized: I am in the business of people. And clothing people in comfort, care and dignity? That's powerful.I've been guided by brilliant leaders in the fashion industry — mentors and muses who believed in me, even when I didn't. Their belief reminded me that I'm not broken because of my past. I am whole. I matter. And now, I get to pass that message on.
What Do You See? Mountains or Waves?Our abstract logo is intentionally interpretive — designed to look like whatever you need it to be. Mountains. Waves. Strength. Flow. Resilience. It's for everyone, everywhere. Just like our message.
Let's Keep Each Other Warm13cents is about more than honoring my father's memory — it's about honoring humanity. Together, we can make small, meaningful changes. One hoodie at a time.
Join us.@
This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on May 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
