Giving back has always been part of Elyse Walker’s DNA.
As the retailer celebrates 25 years in business, Walker said philanthropic work is just part of who she is — there’s nothing “strategic” about it. “We’re turning 25 years this year, and I realized for me, my brand and my personal life, it is 90 percent authentic and 10 percent, at most, strategic,” Walker said.
Through multiple marquee events, Elyse Walker has raised more than $16 million for various charities, ranging from Cedar-Sinai’s Women’s Cancer program to St. Helena Hospital Foundation.
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“Going and asking people for money is not strategic. Going out and hosting events for your community? Everyone should do that,” said Walker, whose philanthropic initiatives began in her community Pacific Palisades, Calif.
“This was all heart, and it turned into something that wound up becoming synonymous with our company,” Walker said. “It’s part of our company culture. Each company has their flavor. It’s something that our team is super proud of,” said Walker, who operates six eponymous multibrand luxury boutiques in Pacific Palisades, Newport Beach, Calabasas and St. Helena, Calif., and two in New York City, and two Towne by Elyse Walker stores in Pacific Palisades and Newport Beach, Calif.
In 1999, Walker opened an 800-square-foot store in Pacific Palisades, Calif., so she could be near her children’s school and be a room mom. As a native New Yorker (who grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y.), she was new to Los Angeles.
“It felt like an East Coast-y neighborhood town,” she said. The first thing she did was join the Chamber of Commerce. Her goal was to give back and support her community, and help provide something it needed. She used to walk in town every day, passing overflowing garbage pails, and at a carnival, realized the town needed more pick ups. So, she worked with the Chamber of Commerce to raise $20,000 a year and add an extra garbage pick-up day.
To raise the funds, she held a mini-carnival with games and toys on her store’s block, Antioch Street, where she had success with her store.
“That store was very well received and very welcomed in the community. And as we grew, we took [over] another store and 18 months later, we expanded again and again, and that original store has expanded six or seven times,” Walker said. The original store has since expanded to nearly the entire block at more than 3,600 square feet throughout the years. She said people were so happy that she was bringing in designer merchandise or bringing in shoes. “Each thing took time; it didn’t happen in one day,” she said.
One day, a friend of hers said that her husband was launching a pilot for a new TV show with a very young actress who was kind of unknown, and asked if she could style her. Her name was Jennifer Garner, and the show turned out to be “Alias.”
“Jen Garner came in and we are still friends until this day,” Walker said.
“I started her in black pants and a black T-shirt. That was my claim to fame, and nobody asked me to style a TV show ever again,” Walker joked.
Garner’s career took off, and Elyse Walker was growing. “When Jen got her first cover of a magazine, Self Magazine, in 2002, she said that Self Magazine wanted to host an event and said, ‘Can we do it in your store?’ Jen and I had bonded over many things. I lost my mom to ovarian cancer when she was 42, and Jennifer’s first husband lost his mom very young. So we said, ‘Let’s host Self Magazine and let’s give back to something,'” Walker said. They partnered with Helen Ficalora, who makes jewelry with stamped initials, and she made a symbol that represented ovarian cancer awareness.
They hosted the event in her store on a Sunday, sold Helen Ficalora, donated proceeds and raised $10,000 in one day. “And I’ve been hooked ever since,” she said. The initial fundraiser supported the Women’s Cancer Research Institute.
Walker opened up a 501(c)(3) charity, and in 2004 she launched Elyse Walker Presents the Pink Party, where she partnered with Cedar-Sinai’s Women’s Cancer program. That money supported Dr. Beth Karlan’s cancer research.
The Pink Party was designed to be casual and easy. “It was called Pink Attire, Jeans Required,” Walker said. There were no tables and people could relax on lounges. It has been held at various locations and hotels, and after 10 years, it grew to 10,000 people at the Santa Monica hanger.
“There’s tons of food, everyone sits on a lounge, you talk to your friends, very quick speeches, it’s more of a celebration. [During the 10 years] they started doing fashion shows,” Walker said. Designers such as Valentino, Brunello Cucinelli and J. Mendel presented looks. These events, hosted by celebrities such as Garner, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Biel, Rachel Zoe and Anne Hathaway, raised more than $11.7 million for Cedars-Sinai.
Her last Pink Party in 2014 drew a cast of L.A. personalities — Maria Shriver, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Molly Sims, Shay Mitchell, Lisa Rinna, Frances Fisher and “Veep” actor Reid Scott. Guests viewed a runway show featuring looks by J. Mendel, Giambattista Valli, Lanvin, Reed Krakoff and others. The last party was its highest grossing to date, raising more than $1.8 million for the Women’s Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai.
After 10 years she wanted to pass the baton. In 2019, she moved with her husband, David, to Napa Valley and was asked if she could help with the St. Helena Hospital Foundation. She joined the board three years ago and started Rockout Knockout Cancer for St. Helena Foundation. In the past three years, the event has raised more than $3 million. Walker said $1 million helps the hospital buy a new MRI machine. “Napa Valley is one of the most philanthropic communities you can ever wish for,” she said.
She uses the same formula: community, no assigned tables, all lounges, a great band and everyone dances. “There’s no sit-down dinner, it’s French fries, hamburgers, open bar, a great band, there’s a donut machine outside. It’s super casual,” Walker said. She usually hosts it in May.
On the East Coast, Walker has partnered with the Basser Foundation in New York. She started working with Shari Potter and Mindy Gray, who lost their sister in her 30s to ovarian cancer, and Susan Getz. “They started a Denim Ball that was inspired by the Pink Party. How cool is that? It’s called the Basser Jean Bash,” Walker said.
Elyse Walker recently hosted a party in its Madison Avenue store for Basser Foundation. She’s also a supporter of Cedar-Sinai’s Women’s Guild, and has done fashion shows for their women’s luncheon and a handbag donation. Walker has hosted parties in their Newport Beach store for CASA of OC, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County, a nonprofit organization that advocates for abused and neglected children, and has done fundraising events for Mothers2Mothers and NEWS, which stands for Nurturing Empowerment Worth and Safety for women — where Elyse Walker has hosted in-store shopping parties with percentage of sales back to the organization.
Walker has also hosted in-store shopping parties (with a percentage of sales going back to the organization) for Nimbus Arts, a community-owned nonprofit organization founded in 2005 with the mission of giving the Napa Valley Community access to art, and Festival Napa Valley, which engages audiences with innovative programs. They also support Jameson Animal Rescue, where they have raised money for the Napa organization by hosting in-store shopping parties.
“We love to support a community, we appreciate when a community supports us, it’s just part of our DNA,” Walker said.