Actress Kerry Washington Creates a Designer Purse to Raise Funds For Domestic Violence Awareness

Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress Kerry Washington has partnered with handbag designer, Dee Ocleppo as the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse® ambassador to create the 2015 Purple Purse. The limited-edition, on-trend clutch was created to encourage the public to talk about domestic violence and financial abuse.

This year, the purple purse, retailing at $350, is available for purchase now at select Saks Fifth Avenue locations and on Saks.com with 25 percent of proceeds supporting abuse programs.

I am proud to be part of a movement that empowers women to take back control and to rebuild their lives,” said Kerry Washington. “Through Allstate Foundation Purple Purse, we aim to break the cycle of violence. We hope women will carry this purse to show their support, and that domestic violence victims will be inspired to reclaim their independence.”


One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. In 98 percent of cases, victims will also suffer from financial abuse, which means their abusers will deny them access to money and financial resources.

Allstate Foundation Purple Purse, a public awareness and fundraising campaign, is aimed at creating long-term safety and security for domestic violence survivors. The purse represents the center of a woman’s financial domain, and purple is the national color for domestic violence awareness.



The Purple Purse website provides a financial empowerment curriculum for victims of abuse that shows how to escape their violent situations.

This is a beautiful purse and an amazing cause.

If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.