How Fashion is Helping Fight COVID-19
During these unprecedented times, all non-essential retailers have been forced to close their doors and face significant losses. Despite this, there are many fashion brands and designers who have chosen to support the COVID-19 relief effort. From supporting acts of kindness to manufacturing PPE (personal protective equipment) and donating funds to build hospitals and to support charities, it’s not just large luxury fashion houses doing their bit but smaller brands and up and coming designers too. We’ve highlighted some of brands that are doing amazing things in order to spread a little positivity so please have a read and support where you can!
Armani: Donated $1.4 million to hospitals and health organizations across Italy.
Aquazarra: Donating 10% from all sales from their London & Bicester Stores from June 1st - 21st to Crisis 'In This Together' campaign, ensuring vital care is given to homeless people in the UK.
Avon: Sending two million dollars worth of essential personal care and hygiene products to Feed the Children.
Bottega Veneta: The Italian brand will support scientific research for COVID-19, providing two-year scholarships across the cities of Veneto, Lazio, and Campania. The €300,000 will fund researchers at the University of Padua, the National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, and the Microbiology and Virology Laboratory at the Hospital Domenico Cotugno in Naples.
Brandon Maxwell: One of Meghan Markle's favourite designers, Brandon Maxwell, has pledged his support by manufacturing PPE (personal protective equipment).
British Fashion Council: The British Fashion Council has revealed names of the first 37 designers to receive financial support from its Covid-19 emergency fund. Each one of the British fashion businesses will receive up to £50,000 from the fund, along with mentoring from executives partnering with BFC like LVMH, Lloyds, Farfetch and Instagram.
Bulgari: Following the lead of LVMH, its parent company, the Italian jewelry brand, with fragrance partner ICR, will produce more than 100,000 hand sanitizer bottles that will be distributed through the Italian Civil Protection Department. Bulgari has also donated funds to the Spallanzani Hospital, which acquired a new microscope for researches looking to eradicate the novel coronavirus.
Burberry: British brand Burberry will use its supply network to deliver 100,000 surgical masks to NHS workers. It is also repurposing its factory in Yorkshire where it produces trench coats to manufacture non-surgical gowns and masks for patients in British hospitals.
Canada Goose: As part of its "response programme", this luxury parka brand announced it was repurposing its factories in Toronto and Winnipeg to produce scrubs and gowns for hospitals across Canada, free of charge.
Chanel: The couture house has announced it will start producing face masks in its factories to help health workers in France.
Christian Siriano: Accepting donations to aid in their production of face masks and healthcare materials to aid frontline healthcare workers. They have converted all of their factories to this form of production.
Dolce & Gabanna: has made an important donation to Humanitas University for a research project hoping to help with the fight against coronavirus.
Fendi: The Italian fashion label has donated €250,000 (more than $270,000) to the organizations in the Lombardy region of its home nation and is collaborating with suppliers to provide masks to health professionals in Tuscany.
Gucci: Donated 2 million euros to COVID-19 relief.
Hermès: The French luxury brand is donating €20 million (more than $21 million) to public hospitals in Paris, along with 31,000 masks and 30 tons of hand sanitizer produced in its factories.
H&M: Partnering with Givz to offer $10 off every $60 of online sales to a selected charity to offer relief to those working on the frontlines.
Jimmy Choo: The London-based accessories label has pledge $500,000 to organizations in the United Kingdom, the money will be split between charities and relief funds supporting the NHS and WHO.
Kate Spade: Through its Kate Spade New York Foundation, the American label has pledged $100,000 to Crisis Text Line and the organization's efforts to provide crisis counseling and emotional support for doctors and nurses. It is also partnering with institutions on a virtual volunteering program.
Kering: The parent company of Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, and Gucci is making face masks to support medical professionals who are running low on personal protective equipment.
Kurt Geiger: All UK store managers have been working with their Local NHS Hospitals to give £100 gift cards to NHS workers in the critical care departments of their local hospitals. What's more, NHS workers will receive a 50 percent discount for a year in all stores once they re-open.
Lacoste: Since mid-March, nearly a hundred employees from Lacoste’s French factories have volunteered to work on the manufacturing of 145,000 washable and reusable masks.
La Perla: Donating 10 percent of proceeds to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund hosted by the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, in support of the World Health Organization.
Levis: Chip Bergh, President & CEO of Levi Strauss & Co has announced a commitment of $3 million to Covid-19 relief efforts, with a focus on employees, community partners and supply chain workers.
Loewe: The Spanish fashion brand has partnered with Plataforma de Infancia, donating €500,000 (more than $540,000)—along with €40 (about $43) from each sale of the Paula's Ibiza collection—to the organization that works to protect children in the label's home nation. It will also donate 100,000 surgical masks to the Spanish Red Cross.
L’Oréal: Has donated to the Professional Beauty Association COVID-19 relief fund to support members of the beauty community that are unable to work, and has donated a supply of dry shampoo to local crisis response teams
Lulu Guinness: The accessories brand is supporting acts of kindness by asking followers to share on Instagram acts of kindness that are being carried out in local communities. The brand will also select a couple of nominees each week who can select a bag of their choice.
LVMH: Using their factories to produce hydroalcoholic gel and distributing to health authorities free of charge, and has donated 40 million masks.
Mango: The brand is continuing its fight against COVID-19 and will manufacture 13,000 disposable polyethylene gowns for healthcare teams as well as donate 2 million masks in hospitals across Spain.
Mansur Gavriel: With any bucket bag purchase, 10 percent of sales will be donated to Global Giving.
Michael Kors: the American fashion label under Capri Holdings, has pledged $1 million, with the eponymous designer adding another $1 million personally, to New York–based organisations supporting coronavirus relief efforts.
Missoma: is gifting 100 gold necklaces to NHS staff members (selected randomly and chosen from those tagged in the comments on its Instagram post) as a small token of gratitude for their work during the COVID-19 crisis.
Moncler: The brand is donating 10 million Euros in order to support a project promoted by the region of Lombardy for the construction of a hospital with over 400 intensive care units in the ex Fiera Milano area.
Monica Vinader: The independent jewellery brand Monica Vinader is sparking joy by donating 50 of its bestselling friendship bracelets to a campaign that is showing appreciation for health workers.
Mulberry: Now producing re-usable PPE gowns in their Somerset factories for the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.
Nanushka: The Hungary-based brand will distribute 12,000 medical-grade masks, which it secured from Chinese industrial supplier, to health authorities in its home nation. It will also use its atelier to produce masks for the general public at a rate of two thousand a week for the next four weeks free of charge.
Net-A-Porter: YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP has volunteered vans from its premier delivery fleet in London to Age UK charities, to delivery essential supplies to those in need.
Nike: is donating $5.5 million worth of product, including its new Air Zoom Pulse sneakers, to frontline healthcare workers in Barcelona, Chicago, Laakdal (Belgium), London, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milan, New York City and Paris. Nike recently introduced its Air Zoom Pulse sneakers, which comes in a slip-on silhouette for easy removal, a tight fit and cushion for comfortability for long shifts.
Prabal Gurung: The American fashion designer has donated 2,000 N95 masks to New York hospitals and frontline medical workers in partnership with the COVID Foundation.
Prada: is financing three ICUs in three hospitals in Italy, and have reconfigured their factories to produce masks and medical garments.
Pronovias: In a bid to celebrate those dedicated to fighting the coronavirus, wedding dress designer brand Pronovias launched its “heroes collection”, offering all hospital-employed brides-to-be a free dress until August 31, 2020.
Ralph Lauren: Donated $10 million to COVID-19 relief and $5 million worth of clothing products. They also launched Ralph’s Coffee, a coffee truck that travels to New York City hospitals to provide healthcare workers free coffee and baked goods to thank them for their service.
Reiss: has donated 10,000 masks and 900 scrubs to the NHS.
Salvatore Ferragamo: In collaboration with authorities in Tuscany, the Italian fashion brand is providing 3,000 dust masks, 100,000 TNT antibacterial masks, and 50,000 units of hand sanitizer to health care facilities.
Sandro: In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Sandro has launched the Sandro Takes Care initiative. The brand are working across Europe and the US to provide breakfast to hospital staff in a number of key affected cities and are also helping to produce non-surgical safety masks to hospital staff. Sandro will also be launching both and Womens and Menswear t-shirts in the coming weeks, with 100% of the benefits going to the Red Cross to support them during this crisis.
Tiffany & Co: Donated $1 million to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.
The Body Shop: has delivered 25,000 bars of soap and 25,000 tubes of hand cream to frontline NHS workers at the newly opened Nightingale Hospital at London’s ExCel Centre.
Three Graces London: This fashion brand is helping vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak by donating 100 per cent of its sales from 18 March to 8 April to Crisis, a charity that supports the homeless.
Tod’s: The Della Valle family, founders of Tod’s S.p.A., has entrusted the Dipartimento della Protezione Civile to distribute its €5 million (more than $5 million) to the families of health professionals who lost their lives in the fight against the coronavirus. The fund, dubbed Sempre con Voi, is also open to others seeking to make a contribution.
Tory Burch:has partnered with charities to provide $5 million worth of products to to health care professionals and is donating fabric to be made into into face masks and hospital gowns. The brand is also social media platforms and website to offer information and guides for young designers to access finding support & grants.
Versace: Donatella and her daughter Allegra have donated €200,000 to the intensive care department of San Raffaele hospital in Milan, to help with the overwhelming number of cases.
Victoria Beckham: Victoria Beckham will be donating 20 percent of sales from victoriabeckham.com and victoriabeckhambeauty.com to Feeding America in the US and the Trussell Trust in the UK.
Vogue: Anna Wintour has launched a COVID -19 relief fund ‘A Common Thread’ with the CFDA to support those in the fashion industry who have been affected by coronavirus.
Zara: The Spanish superstore, has converted its factories to create masks and hospital gowns for first responders in Spain.
