How Fashion Brands Across the Globe are Supporting the COVID-19 Relief Efforts

By Selena Wu

On Friday, it was announced that Men’s Fashion Week will not be going ahead in London, Paris and Milan, Couture Week is cancelled and New York urged designers not to present Resort collections this coming June. As the fashion industry has been upended with lower volumes, idle workers and restless energy, brands have turned their efforts towards doing what they can to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we take a look at the relief efforts across the world and finally how you may be able to help closer to home.

In China where the virus first emerged, key business leaders donated significant sums towards the effort, including LVMH donating $2.3m to the Red Cross in China, Hermes pledging ¥5m to China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Richmont donating $1.4m to Red Cross Society of China and Kering donating $1.08m to the Hubei local branch of the Red Cross, where the epidemic was concentrated. In addition, Jack Ma founder of Alibaba has been donating to many efforts across the world, including $2.15 million to the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Australia to fund the development of a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus and many shipments of PPE and testing kits to multiple countries across the world.

As the pandemic reached the shores of Europe, many companies increased their efforts to help as their production slowed. Companies with their own manufacturing facilities are switching production to produce products in short supply, with LVMH creating hand sanitisers in factories normally used for perfume production, Gucci, Armani and Prada pivoting to make masks and PPE for Italian hospitals. Likewise Chanel, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga are all making masks for France. Sandro, in addition to making masks, have also started providing free breakfasts for medical workers at hospitals. LVMH and H&M also used their sourcing abilities to procure millions of masks for Europe and numerous parties have pledged millions of dollars to their respective countries’ efforts including Versace, Moncler and Mayhoola.

Over in America, similar initiatives are happening with a number of established companies chipping into the effort. Ralph Lauren has shifted production to making PPE and donated $10m towards the global response. New Balance are using their factories to produce masks; Revolve has donated masks to hospitals in the local area; Reformation is organising local manufacturers and managing the production of non-medical masks and other protective apparel; STAUD and DVF have donated towards efforts to feed the elderly and vulnerable children in these trying times. These are just a few examples, many small brands are also contributing towards local efforts.

Back at home we have a number of companies who have helped the relief efforts. Boden has donated clothing to NHS workers who are unable to return home after their shifts. Kurt Geiger has closed its stores and asked staff to volunteer with Age UK to help vulnerable people. Burberry has provided masks and donated towards vaccine development and charities to tackle food poverty. Net-a-Porter has donated towards the efforts of educating children at home and is now using its premier delivery vans for Age UK’s efforts to deliver food and medicine supplies to the elderly. 

And finally there is a major two-pronged initiative being spearheaded by Fashion Roundtable, Kate Hills of Make it British and designer Phoebe English to manufacture much needed PPE for the NHS. Kate is uniting UK manufacturers to produce PPE, while Phoebe is leading a team of independent UK designers to produce protective clothing with the Emergency Designer Network. For manufacturers and designers who would like to help, you are encouraged to make contact with these networks. From Phoebe: "The most radical and urgent thing we can do during our isolation is collaborate. We are collaborating with a disparate yet connected network of skilled, prepared and agile designers and makers to aim to fulfil short term need of PPE made locally to shorten waiting time for the restocking of these key items."

For anyone else who now finds that they have more time on their hands, Med Supply Drive UK has been started by NHS workers and is working with teams of across the country to get PPE to where it is most needed. They are looking for volunteers for all different roles, including social media, fundraising and logistics. Get involved by going to www.medsupplydrive.org.uk

In these strange and unusual times, it’s heartening to see that the fashion industry is coming together to help tackle this pandemic and support ongoing relief efforts.