With stores closed, runway shows canceled and global supply chains disrupted, much of the fashion industry has been rendered idle by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the US, where health officials have warned that stockpiles of medical equipment may be insufficient despite manufacturers ramping up production, some medical workers have been forced to reuse masks between patients and even make their own.
Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung, who is based in New York, has also offered to help, saying via his brand’s Instagram account that he hoped “not only to fill the void of critical PPE, but to mobilize our domestic partners, revitalizing US producers and suppliers.” And designer Brandon Maxwell, who has dressed high-profile figures from Lady Gaga to Michelle Obama, announced that he is redirecting resources toward the production of gowns for medical workers.
Elsewhere in the country, luxury swimwear brand Karla Colletto has offered up its Virginia factory, and Los Angeles Apparel (a brand founded by American Apparel’s Dov Charney) donated the services of its 450-person-plus workforce to produce face masks. And it’s not just consumer brands pitching in to help — apron and culinary clothing manufacturer Hedley & Bennett, for instance, is now producing masks for frontline workers with the help of donations.
— CNN