Written by Menswear Style in Business on the 30th March 2020

The global pandemic of Covid-19 has resulted in the shutting down of fashion brands’ retail stores and many eCommerce websites. While some businesses have been in the news for the wrong reasons e.g. not paying staff or refusing to close down when ordered, others have used their resources for good, helping to fight the virus. When this is all over with, we urge you to remember the companies that did good, and to avoid the ones that were shady. We owe it to support those who supported us. 

Acqua di Parma 

Acqua di Parma launches the #StayHome solidarity campaign against the coronavirus crisis in its home country, Italy. Motivated from the beginning by its deep love for the Italian Arte di Vivere and desire to preserve the country’s art, nature and culture for present and future generations, the Maison will donate 100% of e-commerce revenues from Home Collection and personal care products sales to support initiatives against the coronavirus crisis. Proceeds from the campaign come from the Home Collection – candles, diffusers and scented paper for drawers - Barbiere shaving products, body and hand care products.

Bvlgari 

Bvlgari keeps supporting the scientific and medical community in their fight against coronavirus. One month after announcing an important donation to the Spallanzani Hospital to acquire a new state of the art 3D high definition microscope, Bvlgari has announced its further contribution to the national effort to prevent, fight and eradicate Covid-19. The Roman Jeweller has decided to manufacture together with its historical fragrances partner, ICR, several hundreds of thousands hand gel bottles to be supplied in priority to all medical facilities through the Italian Civil Protection Department. The hand gel will be distributed in 75ml recyclable bottles in order to help the most critical infrastructures today waging war against the virus. Bvlgari plans to manufacture hundreds of thousands of bottles in the coming 2 months.

Mr Porter 

Net-A-Porter, the luxury etailer which this week suspended online orders due to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, has dedicated its fleet of premier vehicles in London to the delivery of essential supplies to those in need. Instead of delivering same day orders and attending personal styling appointments, the vans are ensuring that the most vulnerable members of the community receive the food and medical supplies they need during the crisis via a partnership with several London branches of Age UK and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, where the YNAP London HQ is based. Last week the company, whose businesses include YOOX, Mr Porter and The Outnet, donated laptops and digital education packages to young children in Italy, which is the home of YOOX, and one of the hardest hit countries by the virus.

New Balance 

New Balance has just announced that it will be getting “all hands on deck” to make face masks for the hospital community. Amid the global coronavirus epidemic, the American footwear giant is working with government officials and local medical institutions to meet the rising demand of face masks. A statement on New Balance’s website notes that it will be using its “expertise and resources to solve new and extraordinary challenges” posed by COVID-19. New Balance’s most recent post on Instagram shows what appears to be a potential mask sample, accompanied by an uplifting slogan that reads “Made shoes yesterday. Making masks today.”

H&M 

H&M has announced it will let global aid organisations, such as the Red Cross, utilise the H&M social media channels, to spread messages about how to help tackle the widespread effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fashion retailer currently has over 120 million followers across the globe, with 8.3 million on twitter alone, allowing its post and social media campaigns to further spread messages across to millions of people. Sara Spännar, Head of Marketing and Communication at H&M, said: “The current situation is affecting each and every one of us, and like many other organisations, we are doing our best to help. Since 2011, H&M have partnered with British Red Cross to raise more than £3.7 million, donating end-of-season garments or those with minor damage to sell in their network of charity shops.”

LVMH 

In the midst of the global pandemic COVID-19, the world leader in luxury LVMH and the parent company of French luxury brands such as the Christian Dior, Guerlain, and Givenchy are standing together in solidarity and “corporate philanthropy”. Since earlier this week, these French Perfume Houses have halted perfume production and are busy manufacturing and providing free hydroalcoholic gel hand sanitizer in very large quantities to help the public health authorities, doctors, and nurses on the forefront of the Coronavirus battlefield. Louis Vuitton has also started producing hospital gowns at its ready-to-wear atelier in Paris before being sent to voluteers working from home to sew and finish. The gowns are then distributed to six hospitals throughout the city.

Burberry 

As part of the global effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Burberry has announced that it will be dedicating its resources to produce surgical masks, non-surgical masks and gowns for medical staff and patients across the UK. In addition, the fashion house will also be funding research into a single-dose vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, as well as donate to charities like FareShare and The Felix Project, that help tackle food poverty in the country. Over 100,000 surgical masks will be delivered to the UK National Health Service, for use by medical staff. On top of that, Burberry will be using its trench coat factory in Castleford, Yorkshire, to make non-surgical gowns and masks for patients under the supervision and approval of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Canada Goose 

Canada Goose will reopen two of its manufacturing facilities and begin producing medical scrubs and patient gowns to help in the fight against COVID-19. Starting next week, the high-end parka maker will produce scrubs and patient gowns that it says are in short supply at hospitals across Canada. About 100 employees will manufacture the gear at its production facilities in Winnipeg and Toronto, with an initial goal of producing 10,000 units. The scrubs and gowns will be donated to local hospitals at no cost.

Zara 

This major fashion brand is stepping up to the plate when it comes to coronavirus assistance, as parent brand, Inditex, announced recently that they would be donating face masks and hospital gowns to patients and healthcare officials in Spain. The brand will be converting their existing factories into spaces within which they will be able to churn out the much-needed items, giving them to those most in need (and at the highest level of shortage).

Allbirds 

Sustainable footwear retailer Allbirds is donating 2000 pairs of its wool running shoes to front line NHS staff. “It’s a small way of saying thank you and providing comfort for the long hours you’re putting in to keep us safe and healthy,” said Allbirds. The move follows a similar donation scheme to healthcare workers in the US, where Allbirds is headquartered. The footwear retailer confirmed earlier this month that its corporate staff would be working from home during the pandemic and that employees would receive pay. “It’s hard to navigate the unknown, but as we continue to better understand how to slow the spread of Covid-19 we want to do all we can to keep our customers, employees and local communities safe.”

When things go back to normal are you more likely to shop at brands that helped fight Covid-19? #covid19UK

— Menswear Style (@MenswearStyle) March 30, 2020

We feature New Balance Face Masks, H&M Social Media Accounts, and LVMH hydroalcoholic gel hand sanitizer in this report on How the Fashion Industry is Helping to Fight Covid-19.