Fashion vs COVID-19

The whole world has been fighting coronavirus infection for several months now. While the pandemic is in full swing in Europe, news from East Asia inspires tremendous hope that the epidemic will be over at least by summer. Looking at the blooming and filling with people streets of China, once again you get convinced that bad times always give way to good times. The main thing is not to give up, be strong and help each other, as so many fashion insiders worldwide do today. Here, a round-up of the designers and brands who are making a significant contribution to combating COVID-19.

The United Kingdom

The legendary English brand Burberry is going to use its global supply network to expedite the delivery of 100,000 surgical masks to the UK National Health Service for medical personnel who treat patients with COVID-19; the Burberry Yorkshire trench coat factory in Castleford will be transformed to supply non-surgical gowns for patients in British hospitals. The company also sponsors the Oxford University’s development of a single-dose vaccine which will be first tested on people next month. Burberry is also mindful of donations to the UK charities that work to combat poverty in their country, including the FareShare and The Felix Project.

Victoria Beckham, as is known, not only develops her fashion empire, but also devotes a lot of time to charity. During these challenging times, Beckham is donating 20 percent of sales from Victoriabeckham.com and Victoriabeckhambeauty.com to Feeding America in the United States and the Trussell Trust in the United Kingdom, the organizations that provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty.

The accessory brand Kurt Geiger is going to cheer up the NHS workers of the critical department by donating them £100 gift card, others will get the 50 percent discount for a year in Kurt Geiger stores. While all stores are closed, 2,000 Kurt Geiger employees are becoming the Age UK volunteers.

France

Since March, the factories of the French multinational company LVMH have been manufacturing hand sanitizers instead of production of perfumes and cosmetics for the Christian Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy brands. The manufactured products will be transferred to the French state sanitary-medical structures. Also, at the end of the previous month LVHM took the imitative in providing the scarce products ordering 40 million FFP2 and surgical masks from China for French healthcare workers. At the beginning of the epidemic, the company donated £1.9 million to The Red Cross Society of China.

The young French designer Marine Serre also did not stand aside. The brand pulled together with the medical device manufacturer Airinum to create Urban Air Mask 2.0. All masks are selling like hotcakes, but the brand’s representatives assure that they do their best to protect you as soon as possible.

Italy 

Italian brands have united in a huge, close-knit family sparing no expense in helping their country. Salvatore Ferragamo are donating 100,000 TNT anti-bacterial masks, 50,000 units of hand sanitizer and 3,000 FPP1 masks; Gucci has donated €2 million to support two crowdfunding campaigns; The Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation has given €1 million toward medical aid, while Prada recently announced that it would manufacture 80,000 medical overalls and 110,000 masks as well as be funding two new ICUs in Sacco, San Raffaele, and Vittore Buzzi hospitals in Milan. 

Financial donations were also given by Donatella Versace, Giorgio Armani, Moncler to the intensive care units of the Italian hospitals. Alberta Ferretti announced that for every purchase made on their website, 15% of the proceeds will be donated to the Local Health Authority of Romagna and the Humanitas Clinical Institute of Milan. 

The USA

Ralph Lauren is donating $10 million to fight the coronavirus and the effects of the pandemic as well as producing 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns with US-based manufacturing partners. “At the heart of our Company, there has always been a spirit of togetherness that inspires our creativity, our confidence and most importantly our support for one another. In the past weeks and months, that spirit has never wavered,” said Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. “We believe that no matter who you are or where you are from, we are all connected. That is why we are taking significant action to help our teams and communities through this crisis.” 

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation allocates $750,000 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund of the World Health Organization, and $250,000 to The New York Community Trust which helps social services and cultural organizations.