Joining other major brands to support front-line workers
French luxury brand Louis Vuitton is doing its part to support COVID-19 efforts.
Workshops in France have been re-purposed to produce hundreds of thousands of non-surgical protective masks and hospital gowns that will be provided to protect frontline healthcare workers. They have been approved by the different governing bodies and are created in collaboration with Mode Grand Ouest, a regional network of the textile industry who are supplying one of the main materials.
View this post on Instagram
Major fashion and beauty brands have joined the fight against coronavirus.
Big names like Ralph Lauren, Bvlgari, Gucci and more have all stepped up to the plate in order to offer aid to those affected by coronavirus, and donating money in efforts to producing masks and hand sanitiser.
Amal Al Raisi
Omani creative is now manufacturing and distributing reusable face masks made from deadstock fabric. These are non-medical general use masks as part of precautionary hygiene protocols. She will be producing approximately 200 masks per week and giving these out free of charge with online orders and distributing them to organisations in Oman that help those in most need.
Ralph Lauren
Over the weekend, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation announced they were pledging $10 million (Dhs36.7 million) to help those impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
“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,” Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Ralph Lauren, said. “In the past weeks and months, that spirit has never wavered.
“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 donation aims to provide financial grants, contribute to the World Health Organisation’s global efforts and more. As well as the donation, the fashion house is starting the production of 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns with their manufacturing partners based in the US.
Gucci
On the same day, March 26, Gucci announced it would be contributing to global efforts to combat coronavirus, but also closer to home the Italian brand would be donating to campaigns helping those affected in Italy, which has been the worst affected country by the virus thus far. The fashion house is set to donate €2 million (Dhs8.2 million).
View this post on Instagram
“Gucci will stand with its global community to fight the COVID-19 pandemic by making two separate donations to crowdfunding campaigns: locally, in Italy where the company is based, for the Italian Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile) in partnership with Intesa Sanpaolo; and globally, for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund in support of the World Health Organisation, through a matching campaign with Facebook,” the designer brand said in a statement.
Chanel
Luxury fashion brand Chanel has also announced it intends to help with efforts in France as coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country.
On Sunday 29 March, the fashion announced it would launch production of face masks. “Today we are mobilising our workforce and our partners … to produce protective masks and blouses,” the brand said in a statement.
“Today we are mobilizing our workforce and our partners … to produce protective masks and blouses,” Chanel said in a statement.
Bvlgari
Earlier this month, another Italian fashion house donated to the local coronavirus efforts in Italy. With the large sum donated to the research department in Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital in Rome, a state-of-the-art 3D microscope was purchased which will be fundamental for research find a treatment for the COVID-19 strain.
“We are honoured by the donation of Bvlgari which will allow us to strengthen research on the developments of Covid-19 in such a delicate moment,” the general manger of the hospital, Marta Branca, said.
View this post on Instagram
Burberry
British fashion house Burberry is also lending a helping hand. As well as donating 100,000 surgical masks for medical staff, the designer is changing the purpose of its Yorkshire trench coat factory. Going forward it is turning into a station to make non-surgical gowns and masks for patients in the UK.
MANGO
High-street fashion brand MANGO confirmed they will be donating two million face masks to various hospitals in Spain.
“Through this initiative, the company wishes to collaborate to help stop the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate the serious social, economic and public health consequences it is causing,” the fashion brand said in a statement.
They also thanked all those in the Spanish healthcare system “for the extraordinary and tireless efforts they are making to combat COVID-19”.
View this post on Instagram
Estée Lauder
In terms of beauty brands, Estée Lauder is set to start producing hand sanitiser. “The Estée Lauder Companies is proud to contribute to the broader COVID-19 relief efforts by reopening our Melville manufacturing facility this week to produce hand sanitiser for high-need groups and populations, including front-line medical staff,” the company announced in a statement.
Additionally, the beauty brand has also donated $2 million (Dhs7.3 million) to the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières’ coronavirus efforts.
LVMH
Earlier this month, LVMH, the owner of beauty brands like Guerlain and Benefit Cosmetics is now using its cosmetics division to produce hand sanitiser for free to local hospitals in France.
Images: Instagram Feature image: Louis Vuitton Instagram
