Kaila Methven and Groove Cruise Support Artists During COVID

Fashion mogul and KFC heiress Kaila Methven has designed an exclusive collection of face masks with the aim of raising USD $200,000 to assist music artists and health workers facing hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The celebrated couture lingerie designer and entrepreneur has joined forces with the world’s largest, floating electronic music festival, Groove Cruise, to raise funds for The Whet Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund.

“The Whet Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund will ease the financial burden of music artists experiencing hardship, ‘Captains’ who have sailed with Whet Travel, health workers keeping us safe, former employees, contractors, and partner companies that have laid off employees, and that of our extended friends and family,” said CEO and founder of Groove Cruise, Whet Travel, and the Whet Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund, Jason Beukema.

“We were talking on the phone, and the entire focus of our conversation was about giving back and helping the community—I think Jason brought up the idea of the face masks, and I said I would be happy to design a range,” said Methven.

Methven has closely collaborated with Beukema on this initiative by creating designer PPE (personal protective equipment) to be gifted to anyone donating USD $40 or more to The Whet Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund.

“The goal is to gift 5,000 face masks over six months with 100 percent of all proceeds raised going to victims of hardship due to the pandemic,” said Methven.

In an effort to raise funds, Groove Cruise will host a four-day “Virtual Sail Away” live event this weekend, May 21-24, 2020 featuring 30-plus international DJs and artists such as Sam Feldt, Nifra, Bonnie x Clyde, BlackGummy, and Fox Stevenson.

Methven is no stranger to the world of electronic dance music fashion, boasting her own line of EDM-inspired festival wear, ‘Special K,’ which has completely sold out since its release.

Through her highly-acclaimed, couture lingerie label, Madame Methven, Kaila has dressed some of the world’s highest-profile celebrities including Demi Lovato, Katherine McPhee, stars of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Abigail Ratchford, and more.

Methven’s philanthropy has also claimed headlines worldwide for the launch of her new charity, PLUR Association—an acronym for ‘Peace, Love, Unity Respect,’ which aims to provide support and employment opportunities to the LGBTIQ community as well as those in alcohol recovery and survivors of domestic violence.

“I want my contribution to the world to be the soldier spreading the message and true meaning of PLUR,” said  Methven. “I aim to use my voice as a philanthropist; it’s my dream to make a difference in the world. This is the beginning of days we all unite globally as human beings. All races, all nations, all religions, all demographics—we must work together and become stronger as one.”

With both the cruise and live music industries among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Beukema has completely shifted his focus to philanthropic pursuits for the time being but has hinted at future collaborations with both Methven’s PLUR Association and couture lingerie label Madame Methven once the tides have turned.

“I would love to collaborate with PLUR Association—the Whet Foundation has awarded a number of grants to the LGBTIQ+ community, and we actively promote our cruises to the LGBTIQ+ community as a safe, inclusive, and friendly environment full of love and fun for all,” said Beukema.

“Kaila and I are already in discussions about a Madame Methven fashion show for the next Groove Cruise departing Miami, Florida in October. “I appreciate Kaila’s giving nature and work ethic, and I look forward to what we can do together next to help more people.”

Kaila is an heiress to the KFC fortune after her maternal grandfather, Stanley Methven, founded a company, Rainbow Chicken Unlimited, in 1960 which in the 1980s acquired Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The world’s largest floating electronic music festival-gone-virtual will take place on the Groove Cruise Twitch channel.