In starting DÔEN, one of our priorities was being able to stand up for causes that matter to us and give back to organizations we feel passionate about. We've been lucky enough to work with both Room to Read and Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and along the way have built a community of people around us who support these organizations and non-profits in general. Minka, who was an early member of our community (she was at our launch party!), is someone we’ve long admired for her boldness in taking a stand and using her influence to help the causes that are important to her. One of the groups Minka has become closely involved with and has used her voice and actions to support is FashionABLE - an organization committed to helping women in impoverished areas provide for themselves and their families. By creating jobs in developing countries and communities FashionABLE strives to at once impact economic growth and support the independence of the people they employ.

In addition to her work in giving back - Minka is the sweetest most radiant human. She exudes kindness, hospitality, and grace. Since our very first encounter with Minka she has continued to inspire us with her actions, infectious smile, and peaceful demeanor. We also happen to be huge Friday Night Lights fans, so needless to say we were so thrilled (and maybe a little star struck) when she opened her home to us on a recent midsummer afternoon. Minka has a way of spreading joy to everyone around her, and after an afternoon of dancing to ‪Erykah Badu and sipping on crisp white wine, we all left smiling. See below for more images.

– PD