Founder & Story
E’lan Robinson, creator and owner, is an Alumna of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her brand sprouted from an idea to create a subtle but powerful movement to develop an empowering environment for all people in her hometown, Chicago.
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"When I began telling people about my brand, I found myself leaving out an important aspect of it. I was scared to tell people that I created this brand with the intention of donating a portion of my profits to help victims of sex trafficking. The fear came from the anticipation that someone would reply and ask “why?”. I feared that I would have to explain a story that brings tears to my eyes until this day. I was also afraid of how they would react after hearing such a heavy story.
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The story is that someone extremely special to me was a victim of sex trafficking. Her name is Desiree Robinson and she was my younger cousin. On Christmas Eve in 2016, she was found raped and murdered in a garage. She had been missing for weeks prior to being found. After her death, my family found out that she was involved in sex trafficking. Desiree was only 16 years old. Her body was advertised and sold by sick men for their own monetary gain. She was killed by a customer when she refused to give in to his commands. Her death left me wishing I could have done something to save her...
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It is easy to see why this story was hard to tell in the beginning. It is easy to understand my fear. But my fear is NOTHING compared to the fear of girls whose bodies are being manipulated and sold by men. They fear for their lives every single day. They fear that they will never be free to return to a normal life with their families. A fear deeper than anything I could ever imagine.
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I started this brand because I have a passion for entrepreneurship and service. Since a child, I have always known I was going to own a business. I always knew I wanted to make a difference on this planet. I never knew what my business would be but I knew it would be something extremely special to me. I named the brand Èlan Jonel because I want it to be an extension of myself. I want it to be my legacy and gift to the world.
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When people buy my products, I want them to feel as though they have made a small, yet impactful difference on this Earth. I want them to feel stylish and powerful. I also want them to share the story.
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It has taken me a long time to understand that there is nothing I can do now to save Desiree. The most powerful thing I can do is share her story in hopes of spreading awareness of sex trafficking. In hopes that maybe her story will save the life of at least one single person out there. I will no longer be quiet and shy away from spreading a story that could happen to any one of our girls. They do not have a voice. I am that voice. I encourage you to be that voice too."
Thank you and enjoy
-E’lan Robinson
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