FASHION TO THE RESCUE

As the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, fashion houses come to the rescue by tackling the shortage of protective gear

- Ruman Baig

As the world puts up a united effort in tackling the coronavirus pandemic by practicing self-isolation, the fashion sector has become the medical world’s most intimate ally. Luxury brands are shifting their focal point from all things fashion to items necessary for public healthcare. With an exponential rise in the number of affected patients across the world, medical facilities faced a massive shortage of protective gear like face masks, sanitisers, and hazmat suits. To combat this, most leading labels worldwide have converted their factories and ateliers from couture heavens to humanitarian base camps that produce the equipment medical professionals need to fight this war.

LVMH was among the foremost to come forward to combat the global crisis by producing hand sanitisers in its factories in South France, where fragrances for brands like Dior and Givenchy are manufactured. Besides sanitisers, the French conglomerate has also vowed to enable the French medical facilities with 40 million face masks.

Following the lead, Prada stepped up to mass-produce protective equipment and promised to avail 1,10,00 masks by the first week of April. Fashion giants like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga (owned by Kering) have also pledged to donate one million masks. Armani, on the other hand, has geared up to use its factory spaces to create single-use overalls for healthcare professionals in Milan, Italy, and Rome.