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Like many other industries, the fashion world is suffering from the effects of the coronavirus. Most physical stores are closed, with some production lines in Asia frozen for months. In some countries, retail stores will slowly being re-opening, however it remains to be seen how many of them will be able to recoup their losses.
As cases continue rising around the world, the call for help from government officials is being answered by able-bodied fashion and beauty companies, many of which which have paused their own production lines. All kinds of brands are all finding ways to pitch in however they can, by opening up their production lines to sew protective equipment, to offering donations to those most in need. Read more about the growing list of companies providing assistance.
Gucci
The Italian brand has donated 2 million euros to supporting relief efforts, with one million going to the Italian Civil Protection Department and another million going to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Through the #GucciCommunity, they are also reaching out to their followers to donate to the WHO’s fund. Gucci is also providing 1,100,000 surgical masks and 55,000 medical overalls to medical workers in need.
LVMH
Luxury Conglomerate LVMH has pledged to donate up to 40 million face masks made using their Chinese suppliers. They have also started using their fragrance and cosmetics facilities to produce large amounts of hydroalcoholic gel, which will be donated to health facilities in France.
Capri Holdings
Capri Holdings, the luxury fashion group that owns Michael Kors, Versace, & Jimmy Choo, has donated $3 million across all three brands to benefit organizations in their home cities – New York (Michael Kors), Milan (Versace), & London (Jimmy Choo).
In addition, Michael Kors himself and Capri Holdings CEO John Idol will each donate another $1 million personally to organizations supporting coronavirus relief efforts.
Burberry
British heritage brand Burberry announced that they would be donating time, money, and resources to aid with the pandemic. They have transformed their Yorkshire, UK based trench coat factory to make non-surgical masks and gowns and will donate more than 100,000 surgical masks to the UK’s National Health Services. They are also funding research being done at the University of Oxford to find a vaccine, as well as donating money to UK organizations providing meals to those in need at this time.
Chanel
Classic French brand Chanel has chosen to retain all its employees throughout the crisis, also mobilizing a number of them and their partners to produce 50,000 face masks and protective blouses for essential workers in France. They have also donated €1.2 million to French emergency services.
H&M
Swedish fast-fashion leader H&M is using their production facilities to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) to be donated to hospitals around the world. They have also donated $500,000 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and are using their social media platforms to spread messages about health and safety. They have also donated 70,000 of their items to children’s organizations in the US.
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