Top fashion retailers and brands are stepping up to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help communities worldwide cope with the pandemic.
They are pledging multimillion dollar donations for aid, sewing protective gear, and mixing hand sanitizer to thwart the deadly coronavirus, which has brought multiple nations to a standstill.
In response to shortages of protective masks, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are working to produce them in some of their alterations facilities, and CH Carolina Herrera, Eileen Fisher, Gap, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Salvatore Ferragamo, H&M, and Zara owner Inditex announced they would stitch them in their factories.
CH Carolina Herrera, Gap, Eileen Fisher, H&M, Neiman Marcus, and Zara also plan to make other medical apparel, such as scrubs and hospital gowns, while Hugo Boss is giving 20 percent of a week’s worth of online sales to the American Red Cross COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Nike leaders have committed $10 million to boost coronavirus testing and patient care in the company’s home state of Oregon, and Nike Foundation is apportioning $5 million for global responses and critical services in Boston and Memphis, where it operates major facilities.
Neiman Marcus is manufacturing the gear in California, New York, and Florida in cooperation with Joann Stores, which sources the templates, patterns, and fabrics recommended for medical settings.
LVMH, the Parisian parent of Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Tiffany & Co., and others, has ordered 40 million masks for France from China. In addition, the luxury conglomerate converted three of its perfume factories to producing hand sanitizer, which is distributed free to French hospitals.
Gucci and French parent company Kering intend to give 3 million masks to the French health service. In addition, Gucci expects to supply 1.1 million surgical masks and 55,000 medical overalls for use in Italy.
Gucci and Kering are also supporting research into the deadly virus at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.
Dolce&Gabbana, meanwhile, is funding a study of immunity molecules’ responses to the virus that causes COVID-19 at Humanitas University in Milan.
Salvatore Ferragamo is producing and donating 100,000 anti-bacterial masks and providing 50,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and 3,000 respirator masks to healthcare settings in Tuscany.
L’Occitane, which already makes a lavender-scented hand purifying gel, intends to give 70,000 liters of hand sanitizer to French health authorities. The beauty company is also distributing 25,000 units of soap and hand cream to Public Assistance – Hospitals of Paris.
Ralph Lauren is distributing $9 million among the World Health Organization COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, the company’s Pink Pony Fund supporting cancer patient care, and an emergency assistance fund for Ralph Lauren associates.
In addition, Ralph Lauren has pledged $1 million for the Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund’s A Common Thread.
This initiative re-purposes the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund to supply relief for fashion and accessory firms whose existence is threatened by loss of business due to COVID-19.
To support the campaign, text “thread” to 44321 or visit CFDA.com.