Since the coronavirus first exploded in January, the fashion world has struggled to adjust to the changes needed to halt the growing pandemic. Eventually, fashion weeks started to be cancelled across Asia — Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo — and houses started to call off their shows, Gucci and Prada leading the pack.
Now, as the situation in Europe and the US continues to worsen, the fashion industry is stepping up further to try to halt the spread of the deadly virus. LVMH announced over the weekend that it will take the huge step of halting production of its perfumes and cosmetic gels, using these resources instead to produce hand sanitiser.
The French luxury goods group, which owns Louis Vuitton and Dior, will manufacture the disinfectant gel for free and donate the products to French hospitals, particularly those in Paris, for the foreseeable future. It’s expected that LVMH will produce 12 tonnes this week alone.
“These gels will be delivered free of charge to the health authorities,” the group said in a statement over the weekend. “LVMH will continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities.” France currently has over 5,000 coronavirus cases, of which 127 have sadly died.
And LVMH aren’t the only ones stepping up to do their part. Today Prada’s CEOs and chairman have donated two complete intensive care and resuscitation units each to Milan’s hospitals of Vittore Buzzi, Sacco and San Raffael.
Also this weekend Donatella and Allegra Versace announced a joint donation of €200,000 to a hospital in Milan. The money will go directly to the intensive care unit at San Raffaele hospital, which is struggling to cope with a huge influx of patients suffering from COVID-19.
“In times like this, it is important to be united and support however we can to help all those who are in the front lines, fighting every day to save hundreds of lives,” Donatella said in a statement on Friday. Over the weekend Italy, now under a country-wide quarantine, continued to fight against some 25,000 cases of the disease. Over 1,000 people have passed away so far.
“Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this disease and to all the doctors and medical staff who have been working heroically non-stop in the past weeks in the effort to take care of our loved ones,” the designer added. “This is when we, as a society, need to stand together and care for one another.”
Let’s hope that more in the fashion industry follow this trend, and step up to help do their part. Stay safe. Stay indoors.