How the fashion industry is taking action to combat coronavirus in 2020

Nov 02, 2023

By Augustin Bougro

With the world having been affected by Covid-19 for several months, the fashion industry has decided to get involved in the fight against the pandemic. Vogue looks at the projects set up by the fashion world to try and slow down the spread of the virus.

On Thursday, April 30, Valentino unveiled its #ValentinoEmpathy project at the initiative of its creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. Its concept: to transform the brand's Fall/Winter 2020-2021 campaign into a charity project aimed at supporting the Spallanzani Hospital in Rome with a donation of 1 million euros. The funds will be raised thanks to the campaign's protagonists, who have all agreed to donate their fees to the project. These include Adut Akech, Anwar Hadid, Christy Turlington, Gwyneth Paltrow, James Turlington, Laetitia Casta, Laura Dern, Leon Dame, Naomi Campbell, Rossy de Palma and Vittoria Ceretti, among others. The advertising campaign will be shot at the place where the artists are experiencing this difficult time and will take the form of a collection of portraits made by someone close to them, which will then be attributed.

The French company is pledging a donation of 20 million euros for the Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris. This generous contribution is in addition to Hermès' previous solidarity initiatives. Its Parfum du Vaudreuil site donated more than 30 tonnes of hydroalcoholic solution, while various parts of the company donated 31,000 masks. This action will be supplemented by support for health services provided locally by its worldwide network of subsidiaries.

Faced with coronavirus, Loewe has committed to donating 40 euros to the Plataforma de Infancia association for each product sold from its Paula's Ibiza collection. This initiative follows an initial donation of 500,000 euros made by the fashion house. The best part? Loewe is also donating 100,000 surgical masks to the Spanish Red Cross. "Aware that protective equipment is extremely important in the fight against pandemics, Loewe is producing non-surgical masks at its Getafe facility. The masks are to be distributed to volunteers, Loewe employees and their families," explained Pascale Lepoivre and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of the label, on Instagram.

To help Italy, which has been facing the virus for several weeks, Kering is taking action. In a joint effort with all the group's companies operating in Italy, the group is donating 2 million euros to numerous local healthcare organizations, all based in four areas where Kering labels are present in Italy (in the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany and Lazio).

The world's number one luxury group is also helping. LVMH is committed to mobilizing three of its French perfume and cosmetics production sites (Christian Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy) to produce hydroalcoholic gel in large quantities. These gels will then be distributed free of charge to many French hospitals, such as the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, which will see 39 of its hospitals supplied from Monday March 16.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, Chanel has assured that it will not resort to partial employment: it will maintain 100% of its 8,500 employees' salaries until May 8. As part of a national solidarity initiative, the company is pledging to donate 1.2 million euros to hospitals and services through financial contributions to the emergency fund created by the Fondation de l'Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris to the Georges Pompidou Foundation and the SAMU services. Chanel has also donated 50,000 masks to hospital staff and is now mobilizing its manufacturers to make new masks, which are in the process of being approved.

In the fight against the pandemic, the Italian luxury house Gucci has announced a donation of 2 million euros for two participatory fundraising campaigns. Gucci is also calling on its global community to stand by its side raise money to alleviate the current crisis, by helping health services with equipment and supporting scientific research into vaccines and treatments. Alessandro Michele (Gucci's Creative Director) and Marco Bizzarri (Gucci's CEO) said: "This pandemic calls us to an unexpected task, but it is a call to which we respond decisively, advocating the selfless work being carried out by health professionals, doctors and nurses who are working on the front lines to help those affected by the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, particularly in our home country of Italy and around the world."

In the fight against the Covid-19 virus, the creative director Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli (CEO of the Prada group) and Carlo Mazzi (Chairman of the group) are taking action and offering - in a personal capacity - a donation of two intensive care and reanimation units for three hospitals in Milan: Vittore Buzzi, Sacco and San Raffaele.

The parent group of Valentino, Balmain and Pal Zileri is committed to supporting two projects to help Italy in its fight against the coronavirus through a donation of 2 million euros: two separate donations have been made, one to Ospedale Sacco and the other to Protezione Civile Italiana. Thanks to this, the organization, led by the Royal Family of Qatar, aims to improve the efficiency and safety of Milan's hospitals, but also of the nursing staff. "We are very close to the Italian population and we are constantly monitoring the evolution of the pandemic in the country. We are pained to see what is happening in Milan and we strongly hope that this decisive action can help the doctors and their teams of Sacco Hospital," said Mayhoola's spokesperson.

To pay tribute to the medical staff who have been fighting against Covid-19 for several months, Chloé is involved in the production and distribution of medical gowns. These will be offered to Parisian hospitals. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the many partners of the famous French company. In addition to this initiative, Chloé will donate fabrics to the Atelier Lazar Cuckovic which has joined forces with Parisian hospitals in response to the great shortage of medical gowns.

On March 17, 2020, the luxury brand Moncler made official its commitment to the fight against the virus in a press release. Its contribution? A donation of 10 million euros to support the construction of a hospital in Italy. "It is everyone's duty to give back to the city what it has given us so far", explained Remo Ruffini, Chairman and CEO of Moncler.

In the face of the epidemic, Nike, its leaders and the Nike Foundation are joining forces. Together, they are raising more than $15 million to fight Covid-19. This includes $1 million to the Oregon Food Bank, $2 million to the Oregon Community Recovery Fund and $7 million to Oregon Health & Science University. For its part, the Nike Foundation has announced several donations, including $1 million to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, an organization founded by the United Nations Foundation.

To help the victims of the virus, Giorgio Armani, the iconic fashion house run by the designer of the same name, has decided to donate 1.25 million euros to a number of Italian hospitals. The aim is not only to combat the spread of the virus, but also to help the country's civil protection. On Thursday March 26, Armani announced that its factories were launching the production of medical suits.

Donatella Versace, chief creative officer of the Italian house of Versace, and her daughter Allegra Versace Beck, have decided to take a stand in the face of the pandemic. The two women announced a donation of 200,000 euros to the San Raffaele Anesthesia and Intensive Care Hospital in Milan. In an official statement, the two women explained this gesture: "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. 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".

For its part, Dolce & Gabbana is committed to financing a major scientific study. Coordinated by Professor Alberto Mantovani, Scientific Director of Humanitas, this research project is financed by the Italian fashion house and aims to provide a basis for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools. "Supporting scientific research is a moral duty for us, we hope our contribution will help to solve this dramatic problem," explained Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in a statement.

In response to Covid-19, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation (also known as the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation) is donating $10 million to help those impacted by the pandemic. The best part? Ralph Lauren Corporation is commencing production of 250,000 isolation masks and gowns with its American partners. "We believe that no matter who you are or where you are from, we are all connected. That is why we are taking significant action to help our teams and communities through this crisis," explained Ralph Lauren.

The English label Burberry is also taking action. Its objective: to provide the best possible response to the most urgent medical and community needs, while supporting the development of a solution to the pandemic. The company is therefore tackling a number of challenges, such as facilitating the delivery of medical equipment (masks, gowns, etc.), mobilizing its global supply chain network to supply more than 100,000 masks to the UK National Health Service, reorganizing its trench coat factories to produce gowns and masks, and funding research into a vaccine developed by Oxford University. The company is also donating to a number of charities. "In challenging times, we must pull together," said Burberry's CEO, Marco Gobbetti.

The announcement was made by Chip Bergh, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. World. To combat the spread of Covid-19, the U.S. company is pledging $3 million to support employees, vulnerable people and workers in the textile industry within its supply chains. Through programs and networks, the group can thus respond more quickly and effectively. For example, the Levi Strauss Foundation supports numerous organizations such as Chinese for Affirmative Action and Médecins Sans Frontières. Other initiatives include the launch of an employee donation campaign, the opening of the "5:01 Live" series on Levi's Instagram and a donation of masks to hospitals around the world. "We know our response will evolve as the crisis continues to play out. We want to lend help to the communities we always support - those underserved, at risk and often forgotten," says the group in an Instagram post.

"At Zegna we believe our actions today will shape our tomorrow. The pandemic we are all facing is a call for people around the world to take action. Each of us must do our part, in every way possible, to stop this global emergency," says Gildo Zegna, CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna. Thus, to fight Covid-19, the Zegna family and the group's general management are giving personal donations to the Italian civil protection worth a total of 3 million euros. This donation is intended for the care staff and volunteers in Italy. The best part? Part of the group's factories will be totally dedicated to the production of masks.

With their "Better Together" initiative, the UGG group and its parent company Deckers are making a $1 million pledge as well as several product donations to address the Covid-19 pandemic. "The newly launched Better Together initiative aims to deliver relief, support and comfort to those most in need. We are in this together," said Dave Powers, CEO of Deckers Brands, in a statement. The group has also spearheaded several local actions in Santa Barbara, including the launch of the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund. The UGG group made a donation to NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest healthcare system in the United States, while allowing healthcare professionals to stay at home thanks to a partnership set up with many hotels.

Beyond the production of masks, Hugo Boss is committed to producing protective clothing to support the fight against Covid-19. Thus, all the capacities of its German headquarters are put into action. This initiative takes into account the total reorganization of its workshops and other rooms, now equipped with sewing machines and specialized equipment. All the parts produced in these workshops will be distributed to public institutions.

To support efforts to fight the Covid-19 epidemic worldwide, the PVH Foundation is donating $1 million and $100,000 to the Covid-19 Solidarity Fund. The group has also committed to shipping 2 million pieces of personal protective equipment (isolation gowns, masks and face shields) to New York's Montefiore Health System. PVH had already contributed RMB 2 million (approximately $275,000) to the Chinese Red Cross Society and $50,000 to A Common Thread, the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund initiative.

The Della Valle Family, also on behalf of their employees, has allocated the sum of 5 million Euros to support the family members of health personnel who lost their lives in the fight against Covid-19. A fund called "Sempre con Voi" which will be entrusted to the Protezione Civile, and where it will also be possible to contribute.

In support of this fight, the Fast Retailing group (Comptoir des Cotonniers, Uniqlo, etc.) is donating 10 million masks to medical institutions in Japan and around the world. Thus, Japan will receive one million masks to be used in hospitals in areas where the health situation is most critical. The group is also studying ways to supply other parts of the world with masks, including several European countries (France, Germany, Spain and more).

Sandro's goal in this time of health crisis? To contribute to the well-being and safety of women and men on the front line of the Covid-19 virus. Thus, Evelyne Chetrite, founder and artistic director of Sandro, mobilized her teams to start manufacturing masks from fabric stocks from old collections. Result: around 10,000 protective masks for non-medical hospital staff will be distributed in the coming days. The best part? Technical service agents and workers, and administrative and social staff will be given washable and reusable fabric masks to cope with the lack of FFP2 masks. Sandro will also offer a breakfast every Friday to the staff of a hospital located in the areas most affected by the epidemic (from Paris to Milan via London, Berlin and New York).

Maje is mobilizing to distribute 12,000 FFP1 masks to EHPADs, schools and law enforcement agencies in the Ile de France region. The label has also offered more than 1,000 pieces from its collections to numerous associations throughout Europe, while finalizing the production of 12,000 reusable surgical caps with its own scraps of fabric. But that's not all; the brand also unveiled a partnership with the association Un Cadeau Pour La Vie to offer several dozen gifts to hospitalized children in the Ile de France region.

Since its foundation in 2008, The Kooples's goal has been to dress couples by offering them a wardrobe that is as luxurious as it is comfortable and accessible. On April 28th, in a live auction, the brand is organizing an exceptional online auction in both fashion and furniture; an event that will offer to outbid on pure luxury furniture and pieces by major Scandinavian, American, Italian and French design icons - including an original creation by Richard Orlinski. This challenge is also and above all one of solidarity, since part of the funds generated by the sales will be donated to the Fondation des Hôpitaux de France.

The Guess label and the Guess Foundation join together in many efforts against the spread of Covid-19. Their project, in three stages, consists of giving, protecting and inspiring. As a result, Guess and the Guess Foundation are donating over $1,300,000 for the relief of the global community. But that's not all: In partnership with Good360 (a world leader in product philanthropy and targeted donations), Guess is committed to donating more than 45,000 pieces of clothing as well as blankets and coloring books to its community. The Foundation donates to the L.A. Regional Food Bank to provide meals to families in need. By partnering with Direct Relief, the Guess Foundation will donate funds for personal protective equipment, and Guess Foundation Europe will provide N95 masks to hospitals. Finally, the group is mobilizing using its communication platforms. The goal? To raise awareness and amplify the messages that encourage everyone to save lives.

On 22 March 2020, to help in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the H&M Group announced that it will use its supply chain to produce personal protective equipment to be supplied to hospitals and healthcare personnel. This includes masks, gloves and gowns. The H&M Foundation will also donate US$500,000 to the fund set up by the World Health Organization.

Mango is taking action by donating two million masks to various Spanish hospitals in order to curb the serious social, economic and health consequences caused by the virus. "Mango wants to acknowledge and thank, on behalf of its more than 15,000 employees, the extraordinary effort being made by all the people who are part of the health teams in Spain that are incessantly fighting COVID-19," reads the official statement shared by the label.

In support of the city of Milan, the Sergio Rossi group has launched the "Shoes Make A Difference" initiative. The idea is to fight against the Covid-19 virus by offering the Milanese hospital ASST Fatebenefratelli - Sacco a generous donation of 100,000 euros. The best part? The group is also committed to donating all the profits generated by the sales of this campaign. The campaign can be found on the sergiorossi.com website and will end on March 20 2020.

For every purchase on the Alberta Ferretti site, 15% of sales profits will be donated to the Local Health Authority of Romagna (AUSL Romagna) and to the Humanitas Clinical Institute in Milan.

Coperni's gesture? Encouraging fashion fans to make masks. To carry out this project, the brand, led by Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer, is making available on its website the pattern of a mask to be reproduced at home. The idea: to cope with the stock shortage of protective masks currently affecting France.

On Saturday, March 21, the Tony Ward workshop opened its doors again in Beirut. In order to help hospitals in need, the brand has committed itself to meet the supply of these health needs. Its project: to convert its sewing workshop into a workshop for the production of bed sheets and protective suits in order to supply them to Lebanese hospitals.

To face the health crisis, Zadig & Voltaire is committed to supporting the Fondation des Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpitaux de France. The idea: 20% of the profits from sales of the new collection will be directly donated to the foundation. "France is the country that welcomed me over 20 years ago, and I owe her my support. We believe it is vitally important to support the work of the foundation for the Hospitals of Paris and of France, which gives real, practical help to all healthcare professionals in their day-to-day work and in fulfilling their missions. Today more than ever, we must show mutual care and support," said Cecilia Bönström, creative director of the label.

Faced with the health emergency, Chairman of Fila Gene Yoon pledged to come to the aid of the city of Biella, birthplace of the brand in 1911 and home of the Fila Museum Foundation. The Chairman is making a personal donation of five beds in the intensive care unit of the Nuovo Ospedale degli Infermi in the city of Biella, valued at 83,000 euros.

Under the impetus of Sandro Veronesi, president and founder of the group, Calzedonia is making its textile factories and company resources available to convert its production into masks and hospital gowns. A rapid reconversion of the factories made possible thanks to the purchase of special machinery and employee training. Accordingly, 10,000 masks will be produced per day in the initial phase, and an increase in the figure is expected in the coming weeks.

While every year the label supports an association, Ba&sh is once again getting involved, this time with all hospital staff. To help in the best way possible, the group is launching the production of a t-shirt designed by one of their stylists. The profits from the sales will be donated to numerous associations throughout the world. Thus, during the next two weeks, Ba&sh will donate 25% of its e-commerce sales to the French Hospitals Foundation.

After helping out with the fires in Australia, Parisian women's favorite label is now involved in the fight against Covid-19. To carry out this project, Sézane is donating 10% of the profits from the sales of its new collection to emergency aid funds for the foundation of hospitals in France; a promise of rapid and concrete financial support. Sézane's new collection can be found on sezane.com.

In this situation, Repetto is donating 20% of the profits from its shoe and leather goods sales to the emergency aid fund of the French Hospitals, until the end of the confinement period.

Kim Kardashian's shapewear label is also supporting the fight against Covid-19. Indeed, the brand has announced that it will make a donation of one million dollars to help mothers and children affected by the virus. "With this restock, SKIMS will be able to help bring relief to those affected by COVID-19 by committing to donate $1M to families in need," reads a caption from an Instagram publication by Skims.

"Joining the collective effort against Covid-19", says the official website of the Parisian label Ami. Indeed, in the face of the virus, the brand is committed to making its contribution by supporting two institutions: the Fondation des Hôpitaux de France - Hôpitaux de Paris (to which the group has made a donation) and the World Health Organization's Covid-19 Response Fund. Ami will donate 10% of the profits from its sales to the latter initiative for any purchase made on its official website.

To thank the medical staff, until April 12th, Claudie Pierlot is organizing the #ClaudieThanksYou challenge. The brand will donate 10 euros to the Solidarity Response Fund for the fight against Covid-19 (set up by the World Health Organization) for each photo shared on social networks with the hashtag #HeartHands. The photo must be a snapshot of you, visible in "public" mode, with the tag @claudiepierlot.

In response to the pandemic, the Vestiaire Collective platform is launching various initiatives to support the Fondation des Hôpitaux de Paris/France and protect its teams. On Tuesday 31 March, the brand held a charity sale in France and abroad, in partnership with many celebrities and Vestiaire Collective's friends and family. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Fondation des Hôpitaux de Paris/France, The Italian Lombardia Region, La Paz Hospital in Spain and The World Health in England. The platform is also committed to distributing FFP2 masks to its teams as well as disinfectant wipes.

During this period of health crisis, Septem is engaged in various actions. Among its many projects, such as the launch of a competition, the group is inviting its community to design the logo that will be featured on a t-shirt with the theme "Take Power". Half of the profits from the sale of the t-shirt will be donated to the AP-HP Research Foundation. Finally, still in the fight against Covid-19, the brand is donating pieces from its collections to the French platform We Give Collab, whose auction will finance a fund that will be donated to the Emergency Fund for the support of the AP-HP (Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris) teams.

The Austrian hosiery label Wolford is also involved in the fight against Covid-19. Its commitment is based on the production of masks for employees and consumers and supports the local production of surgical and medical masks. Wolford also joins its main shareholder, Fosun, in its "Global Anti-Virus Relief Scheme" initiative, which is committed to the global fight against the pandemic.

Translated by Freya Doggett

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