Thirty-two-year-old snowboarder, model, and non-profit founder Amy Purdy went through some of the most trying life situations when she was diagnosed with meningitis at age 19 and had both legs amputated as a result. As a true testament to her passion and perseverance, Purdy got back on a board, continued competing and founded Adaptive Action Sports, a group dedicated to helping disabled children get on a board and start riding, too. While her accomplishments thus far have exceeded what most will chock up in a lifetime, Purdy hasn’t stopped there. Most recently, she’s been working on yet another project with a similar goal: to impact and improve the way people live their lives. As an Element Eden Advocate, Purdy played a role behind the design inspiration for the brand’s latest collection called “Live, Learn, Grow” – a line that is dedicated to encouraging young women to live life to the fullest and come away from all experiences with a lesson in growth.
We caught up with the busy entrepreneur and inspiration leader to find out why she is so passionate about Element Eden’s new collection, and what she hopes people can take away from the line and the life experiences she has infused within it.
Amy, how did you initially get involved with Element Eden?
I have always loved the Element brand and logo and I have to say that I always knew that there was something special behind the company.
In 2007 the organization that I co-founded, Adaptive Action Sports, organized an adaptive skateboard tour down the East and West coasts. The purpose of the tour was to inspire the viewer to get out, get active and get on board, even if you have to adapt. Element helped to support the San Fransisco stop and Orange County stop. At that Orange County event I got the opportunity to share my story and meet the Eden director at the time Jardine Hammond. A year later I was invited to be a part of the “Power to the Planet” campaign and asked to be a part of the Element Eden Advocate family. Getting involved as an advocate was an honor for me. The brand has soul; it’s so much more than a skateboard and clothing company.
What is your creative vision for this new collection?
It was devastating at 19 when I lost both of my legs from Meningitis but it was also incredibly motivating. Once you’ve been that sick you don’t ever want to be in that situation again. I decided from that point forward that I wanted to live the most fulfilling life I could and to me that includes living as healthy and aware as possible. I was so inspired by the strength of my body for carrying me through that tough time and my spirit was humbled. I want this collection to inspire others to live the best life they possibly can. To recognize the beauty of our bodies, to get into nature and smell the trees, to be aware of our surroundings and share our experience with others and to get inspired by life!
What has been the development and design process behind this line? What have you learned or taken away from the experience?
In the development stage for each season, I get the opportunity to sit down with the design team to discuss the overall idea and inspiration behind the line. I share the projects and activities that I am involved at the time. We discuss the things that currently inspire me, my physical activity and also the different philanthropic projects that I am involved in. The designers will have these pieces of inspiration posted on their walls in their workspace and are able to weave them into the line. Ultimately the idea is that the line is inspired by the lifestyle that I strive to live and we hope the story behind the collection inspires others to strive for the same.
What do you hope people will take away from this new collection? Is there a message you are trying to send?
I have always been inspired by Element’s “Live Learn Grow” (LLG) motto. It’s something we can all relate to and that we hopefully all strive for in our lives. To me “Live, Learn, Grow” means living the best most fulfilling life you can, involving ourselves in life and all it has to offer, learning as much as possible about ourselves and the world around us and growing from all of our life experiences. That’s the message I believe this collection will share.
How does this project carry over into future projects and what kind of collaborations will we see next from your work with Element Eden Advocates?
Because the LLG Collection is ongoing, we will continue our Live Learn Grow Trunk Show series events to now incorporate the LLG Collection, allowing the shops we visit a sneak peek into the new inspirations coming down the line. These events also allow the Advocates to share their unique talents and crafts with the public. Advocate Brook Reidt, for example, paints during the event and Amber B shoots photography. The trunk shows are our way of sharing the message behind the brand and all that is involved. The brainstorming for future collaborations with the other advocates is never ending. We all bring something different to the table which makes for many creative possibilities. I truly feel blessed to have the opportunity to represent a brand with such a powerful message and to work closely with such amazing creative women.
TAGS: adaptive action sports, amy purdy, element eden, element eden advocate
