Hello, Arda family!
This is Amy, creative director at Arda and one of the company’s cofounders. My wife, Crystina, and I have worked hard to build this company as a reflection of the world we want to live in. Arda is LGBT- and woman-owned and operated, and we do our very best to provide a safe and supportive work environment for the people of color, immigrants, women, gender and sexual minorities, and people with disabilities who make up our staff. At Arda we believe that diversity is our greatest strength – not passive diversity, but active acceptance and ongoing work to always improve, doing the best we can by the people who make up our company as well as by every one of our customers.
We are a US-based company; our nation like any other has always been a work in progress, but we now find ourselves at a point in history at which so much of the hard-fought progress we have made stands to be undone. Arda has always been committed to giving back to our community – local, national, and global. Now more than ever we believe that silence is not an option. Going forward, we intend to recommit to supporting an array of nonprofit groups working to protect our civil rights and our environment.
Three of the Arda team – Crystina, Miya, and myself – recently went on a short trip to Tokyo to bring back Yuri!!! On ICE merchandise and doujin for upcoming conventions, as a fun event for fans and to introduce our new ita bags. In light of the events of the past few days and the difficult work that we know they will continue to face in the months to come, I’ve decided to donate all profit from the sale of these items to the ACLU.
If gay figure skaters and civil liberties sound like your thing, stop by and see us at Katsucon or Anime Boston. If you’re not into winter sports, keep watching our newsletter and social media for future fundraising efforts.
Stay safe, and take care of one another. Constant vigilance!
Amy and the Arda Team
