The co-founder of the company known for providing Grammy attendees with luxurious gift bags recently explained why they chose not to do so this year. Instead, they opted to do something special for wildfire victims.
Hollywood’s award season is known for its opulent gift bags filled with high-end items for A-list attendees, but this year, the Grammys took a more meaningful approach. Distinctive Assets, a well-known celebrity gifting company, decided to forgo its usual luxury giveaways in favor of helping those affected by the recent wildfires in California.
Lash Fary at the 66th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California on February 2, 2024. | Source: Getty Images
Distinctive Assets co-founder Lash Fary explained that rather than distributing their signature extravagant swag, the company curated care packages aimed at offering relief to wildfire survivors.
These thoughtfully assembled packages included skincare products, eyewear, and portable Bluetooth devices—items chosen to provide comfort and a sense of normalcy during a difficult time.
Lash Fary posing with some of the products included in Distinctive Assets gift bags. | Source: Getty Images
Fary, who confirmed he was in a safe area unaffected by the wildfires but had friends who were impacted, recently sat down for a virtual interview with a Wish-TV news correspondent. During this segment, he spoke about his initial thoughts regarding turning what was already in the Grammy gift bags into products that could be used for care packages.
“There’s bound to be one or two items in here that would make good care packages, and as it turned out like, literally everything in here would make a great care package,” added Fary.
He continued, “So, we just kind of converted them and decided, ‘You know what, if everyone at the Grammys is gonna be having Frontera wine while they’re celebrating their win, so can we provide that to folks who might need to day drink with all that they’ve had going on.'”
Addressing potential critics of the contents inside the care packages, Fary stated, “No one who’s been through a disaster would ever have that reaction because for any of us who’ve experienced something tragic, really it’s about something that’s a distraction, it’s about something that makes you forget, even if for a moment.”
Lash also highlighted his company’s partnership with Bright Harbor—an organization that provides disaster recovery support. According to the founder, Bright Harbor is set to offer over $1 million worth of its disaster recovery services to victims throughout award season.
Regarding the effort it took to make the shift from lavishing celebrities with gift bags to creating care packages for wildfire victims, Lash disclosed, “It was remarkably easy and in fact, that’s sort of always been the through line for our gift bags […] even with what we give talent, all the items that are in these care packages are the same items we are going to be giving to Oscar nominees in a few weeks.”
While Distinctive Assets plans to return to its regular gifting practices at the Oscars, this temporary shift underscores the power of giving back. The initiative serves as a reminder that even small acts of kindness can have a profound impact on rebuilding lives after tragedy.
Civilians comforting each other as they look at the destruction caused by the wildfires in Altadena, California on February 5, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Fary didn’t just redefine celebrity product placement—he pioneered it. Known as the “Gift Guru” and the “Sultan of Swag,” he has mastered the art of pairing high-end brands with Hollywood’s biggest stars, turning promotional gifting into a sought-after marketing phenomenon.
He has worked with prestigious award shows such as the Grammy Awards, Latin Grammys, Tony Awards, American Music Awards, and BET Awards, among others.
Lash Fary at the 65th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California on February 3, 2023. | Source: Getty Images
What began as an innovative idea has since become an industry standard, generating widespread media buzz and establishing luxury swag bags as a staple of award season.
With countless television appearances and media features, Fary has leveraged his expertise and influence to not only elevate brands but also champion meaningful causes. His ability to seamlessly blend luxury with strategic promotion has solidified his status as the ultimate tastemaker in celebrity gifting.
Lash Fary posing with products. | Source: Getty Images
While Fary’s decision to shift focus this year marked a departure from tradition, the contrast becomes even more apparent when looking at last year’s Grammy gift bags. In 2024, Distinctive Assets curated an extravagant $36,000 collection of high-end products for Grammy performers and presenters.
Unlike the exclusive Oscars gift bags, which are reserved for a select group of nominees, 145 individuals who took the stage at the Grammys—whether to perform or present—received an identical gift package, ensuring that all recipients were treated equally.
The 2024 Grammy gift bag was filled with nearly 60 premium items, ranging from luxury beauty products and cutting-edge technology to one-of-a-kind experiences.
Among the standout inclusions was a private performance by renowned mentalist Carl Christman, valued at a staggering $25,000.
The package also featured a $299 smart bird feeder that doubled as a digital postcard sender, a $699 robotic pool cleaner, and noise-canceling Dyson headphones equipped with an air purification attachment. Even pet owners were catered to, with organic, non-GMO kibble from Smack, worth $282.
A-listers like Olivia Rodrigo, Billy Joel, SZA, Lenny Kravitz, and many others received such luxury gift bags. However, recipients were also reminded of potential tax implications—particularly for high-value experiences like Christman’s private experience, which, if redeemed, required accounting considerations.
Despite shifts in pop culture trends and the evolving dynamics of Hollywood, Fary maintains that the core of these prestigious events has stayed remarkably consistent.
Reflecting on his time in the industry during a 2019 interview, he noted that while award shows may appear to adapt to the times, their fundamental structure has remained intact.
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Fary drew parallels between the longevity of ceremonies like the Grammys and the evolution of celebrity gifting, recalling how his company was among the first to introduce high-end tech giveaways to performers and presenters.
One of Distinctive Assets’ earliest partnerships, for example, was with Apple, when the brand provided iPods as part of the Grammys swag—a move that, at the time, was groundbreaking.
His team was also instrumental in launching now-ubiquitous products, such as Keurig’s coffee pods, which were first introduced to Grammys attendees when the single-serve brewing system was still a novelty. Skeptics questioned whether the concept would ever catch on, but today, Keurig is a household name.
For Fary, the glitz and glamour of award season will always be part of the industry, just as celebrity gifting remains a key element of the experience.
Whether curating extravagant duffel bags filled with luxury products or assembling care packages for those in need, Distinctive Assets continues to leave its mark on Hollywood’s biggest nights—proving that generosity, in any form, is always in style.
