HOW CORONA VIRUS IS AFFECTING THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Over the last week we have seen retail stores close globally and global supply chains come to a halt, due to the corona virus pandemic. Fashion shows all over the world have been cancelled, including our very own Sydney Fashion Week. As a result, we are seeing the stock market experience a strong decline globally.
The Fashion industries biggest names are now joining forces to fight against the pandemic. Large sums of money have been donated and factories have been repurposed to manufacture supplies of much needed essentials like surgical masks, gowns, scrubs and other medical wear. A global shortage of essential protective gear is putting health care workers at risk of infection.
Here are some of the current donations from some of the largest fashion houses according to Business of Fashion (BoF):.

Estée Lauder: Donated $2 million to Doctors Without Borders and has reopened manufacturing facilities to produce hand sanitiser for medical officials.

Burberry: Will provide 100,000 surgical masks to the UK National Health Service, as well as non-surgical masks and gowns for patients, subject to regulatory approval. The company is also funding vaccine research at the University of Oxford and donating to several charities that tackle food poverty in the UK.

Bulgari: Donated an unspecified amount to Institute Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome, which is researching ways to fight and prevent the disease. The donation covered the costs of necessary equipment worth over €100,000.

Chanel: Producing masks and other protective equipment for the French healthcare system.

Chiara Ferragni: Raised over $4 million for the San Raffaele hospital in Milan through an online fundraising campaign.

Dolce & Gabbana: Donated to the Humanities University, which is undergoing a research project to fight the virus.

Uniqlo: Is using its manufacturing partners in China to donate 10 million masks to Japan and other countries that urgently need protective equipment to fight the virus.

Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti: Donated 1.1 million dollars to a new dedicated Covid-19 hospital at the Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic in Rome

Giorgio Armani: Donated $2.2 million dollars to a number of institutions, including three hospitals in Milan, the Istituto Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome, and the nation’s civil defense. All of the Armani Group's Italian production plants have converted to manufacturing medical overalls.

Gucci: Donated 2.2 million dollars to start two public fundraising campaigns to benefit the National Civil Protection Department in Italy and the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund

H&M: Using its supply chain to source medical supplies to be distributed across European hospitals.

Kering: Donated $1.08 million to the Hubei Red Cross Foundation and has purchased three million surgical masks from China to donate to health officials in France. Kering-owned Gucci is also making one million masks and 55,000 pairs of overalls to be donated to Italian medical workers.

Hermès: Pledged to donate five million yuan to the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a public welfare foundation.

Kylie Jenner: Donated $1 million to a fundraising campaign, organised by a Cedars Sinai Medical Centre doctor to purchase N95 masks and face shields.

New Balance: Using its US factories to produce masks for medical workers.Prada: Will produce 110,000 masks and 80,000 medical suits to be distributed among healthcare workers in Tuscany, Italy.

Ralph Lauren: Producing 250,000 surgical masks and 25,000 medical gowns at its US manufacturing facilities.

Sandro: Making 10,000 cloth masks for non-medical workers and will host breakfasts every Friday at hospital facilities to support local medical workers.

Sergio Rossi: Donated €100,000 to the Sacco hospital in Milan.

Vogue and Anna Wintour: Has with Tom Ford and the CFDA set up A Common Thread, a fund-raising initiative to support struggling designers and manufacturers impacted by the corona virus.

Donatella Versace: Together with her daughter Allegra Versace Beck, gave $200,000 to Milan’s San Raffaele hospital.

Zara: Has already donated 10,000 protective face masks and by the end of this week expects to be in a position to ship another 300,000 surgical masks.

Sophia Webster: Has donated 200 pairs of her FlyBy trainers to NHS workers. The fashion industry has come under some intense pressure in recent months regarding becoming more sustainable. Isolation is reminding us that our basic needs of clean air, clean water, food, health and the ones we love is all we really need.

At STYLED BY JADE & Co we are proud to be part of an industry that has been faced with adversity who have stood together and quickly, innovatively and creatively to come up with a way to make positive and resourceful change globally.
If you can sew, hospitals and doctors are reaching out on social media to ask for people to help with the critical mission to help solve the masks shortage. We are in this together...#stayhomestaysafe