30 Jan Robin Wright: Powerful Pajamas

Robin Wright is best known for her portrayal of steely presidential spouse Claire Underwood on the Netflix series House of Cards—a woman obsessed with the pursuit of power.

Away from the camera, she’s a businesswoman, an activist—and an altruist. Last year, she cofounded Pour Les Femmes, a sleepwear company that channels its profits to organizations helping women and children harmed by Congo’s long history of war and violence.

Wright has worked as an activist on Congo issues for more than a decade, speaking out against the use of conflict minerals in consumer electronics and against rape as a weapon of war. With Pour Les Femmes, she’s partnered with designer Karen Fowler, a longtime friend, to create a line of stylish, comfortable pajamas. The profits will go to support Synergie des Femmes and Action Kivu, which provide vocational training, health care, education, and mental health services to victims of violence in the region.

“We decided to make it a giveback company because I was involved with this crisis in Congo for women,” Wright told the Hollywood Reporter. “So we thought, why don’t we take this product that women are going to love to buy, and they know that every time they buy one of our items, it’s going to help a woman with a sustainable life.”

Why sleepwear? Because, Wright says, it’s associated with safety and comfort, which she believes are basic human rights.