Who’s doing what?
LVMH - the French group that owns Dior and Givenchy - is using its perfume factories to mass produce hand sanitiser. It’s rallying to meet the shortages of the product in France within 72 hours. Bottles once used for luxury scents are now filled with the cleaning solution. Bvlgari - another LVMH brand - is also making thousands of bottles for medical centres across Italy.
Face masks for the masses are another vital commodity that are currently in short supply. But Hugo Boss is to make 180,000 from its production site in Metzingen, Germany to help fill the void. The free masks, which are made from a cotton-blend and can be washed upto 50 times, will help to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Charitable donations is how Gucci is assisting with the fight. The Italian fashion house is donating €1m to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO. And there’s a further €1m going to the Italian Civil Protection Department too. Gucci has also partnered with the latter to make a crowdfunding page for crucial supplies too. This follows the donations to France, Italy and China that parent company, Kering has already made.
Some brands, such as H&M and Mango, are using their logistical expertise to quickly deliver medical supplies and equipment to where they’re needed most.
It may only seem like a small contribution, but the fashion world coming together like this will make a huge impact in the fight against Covid-19.