Mar 25, 2020
Coronavirus kindness: Fashion brands rush to help combat Covid-19
Mar 25, 2020
The Covid-19 crisis has already begun to have a crippling effect on a number of brands and retailers, but that isn’t stopping some of the world’s biggest fashion houses from giving back.
From Prada to Armani, fashion and beauty industry leaders are stepping up to the plate to help any way they can amid the current pandemic. That includes major donations to charities around the world and even transforming beauty manufacturing facilities into medical supply factories.
Likewise, brands both big and small are giving back, committing profits from sales to the charities that need it the most.
Prada
Prada is using its factory in Montone (Perugia) to produce some 80,000 medical overalls and 110,000 masks to be allocated to healthcare personnel, following a request from the Tuscany Region. The luxury brand started production on March 18 and expects to deliver by April 6.
Moreover, the Milan-based fashion brand said on Monday that it has donated six Intensive Care Units or ICUs to three Milanese hospitals: San Raffaele, Sacco, and Vittore Buzzi, which is a children’s hospital.
LVMH recently transformed its luxury perfume and cosmetics factories into hand sanitizer production sites. Their production will be sent to French healthcare workers and hospitals. LVMH has also committed to sourcing more than 40 million face masks for the French health care system.
"Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves from the spread of the virus," a statement read.
The aid follows a $2.2 million donation made to the Red Cross in China, last month.
Luxury conglomerate Kering announced that the workshops at its brands Balenciaga and Saint Laurent will be switching its focus from dress production to face mask production. Moreover, Kering-owned brand Gucci will be donating a million masks and 55,000 medical overalls to the fight to keep health workers safe.
In order to support medical staff and patients affected by virus Covid-19, Loris Azzaro's Loris Azzaro Institute announced that with its partner SEEMPA, it will offer bottles of water to health centers. A first free delivery of 100,000 bottles is expected to be delivered as of March 31st in a selection of health centers in France.
Armani
Earlier this month, Italian designer Giorgio Armani donated 1.25 million euros to four hospitals and the national Civil Protection Agency to help tackle Italy’s coronavirus outbreak.
Donatella Versace and her daughter Allegra Versace Beck, donated $200,000 USD to San Raffaele hospital’s Intensive Care Units, earlier this month. That donation followed a 1 million renminbi donation, equivalent to about $143,400 USD, which was given to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation.
L’Oreal Group
The beauty producer announced it will use its manufacturing facilities to make hand sanitizer and hydroalcoholic gel to distribute throughout Europe. The Foundation L’Oréal also announced plans to donate one million euros to the associations that are currently helping the disadvantaged during the pandemic.
Clarins Group
Clarins Group has taken action to respond to the shortage of hand sanitizer affecting the French health system. The company has been manufacturing hand sanitizers in three of its facilities and has already produced and distributed 14,500 hand sanitizers to French hospitals.
Swedish retail giant H&M said that it is working with the European Union to dedicate its massive supply chain to producing personal protective equipment for hospitals and healthcare workers. The non-profit H&M Foundation has equally donated 500,000 USD to the World Health Organization to help prevent the spread of this pandemic.
To support its community, Proenza Schouler said it will donate 10 percent of net sales on all online orders to Citymeals on Wheels. Citymeals is currently home-delivering meals to homebound, elderly New Yorkers during this public health crisis. The average age of each meal recipient is 80, lives alone, and has outlived family and friends.
Designer Tanya Taylor is donating 10 percent of e-commerce sales to Kids in Need. The national nonprofit provides free school supplies to teachers and their students in economically challenged areas across the United States.
Paige
Paige is supporting Meals on Wheels. The California lifestyle brand is donating 20 percent of profits to St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to prepare and deliver nutritious meals to homebound seniors and other vulnerable residents across Los Angeles.
Everlane
Everlane announced it will be donating 100 percent of the profits from its 100% Human collection to Feeding America's Covid-19 Response Fund. The organization is using its network of 200 food banks across the country to provide support to communities impacted by the pandemic, many of whom are among the most vulnerable.
The company originally launched the collection to support human rights via the ACLU in 2017.
Skims
Skims, the shapewear line launched by Kim Kardashion West, is dedicated to donating 20 percent of net profits from its new Cotton Restock collection to Baby2Baby's Covid-19 emergency response program. The proceeds will support the organizations mission to provide basic essentials to children in need.
Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole is donating 20 percent of net sales from its website to the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The fund was launched by the World Health Organization and is being managed by the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation.
Allbirds is sending a free pair of Wool Runners to anyone who works in healthcare and is on the front line of fighting Covid-19. To date, the company has already donated $500,000 worth of shoes. As of Tuesday, Allbirds is also involving its community allowing shoppers to bundle any shoe purchase with a donation to immediately supply a pair of Wool Runners to a healthcare professional who’s already reached out to the company.
Inditex, owner of the retail chain Zara, announced on Wednesday that it will donate face masks and look into converting factories to make hospital gowns for coronavirus patients and healthcare officials in Spain. Inditex said that though it has already donated 10,000 face masks, it has the potential to ship another 300,000 surgical masks.
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