Fashion designers are stepping up to help during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Healthcare workers across the world are running low on gowns, masks, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to fight the coronavirus.
Fashion designers are stepping up by transitioning to producing necessary medical supplies.
Christian Siriano was one of the first designers to respond to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's call asking for companies that are able to create masks to get in touch with his office.
Since then, Brandon Maxwell, Ralph Lauren, Rihanna, and more have agreed to join the effort.
"Powerful women right here! This is what Fashion is right now for us. Making hundreds of masks a day and that's what we can do to help. Thank you to my team for this and thank you to our friends who donated to help!" he captioned a photo of his team producing the masks.
A post shared by Christian Siriano (@csiriano) on Mar 24, 2020 at 12:06pm PDT
The masks currently being produced by Siriano's team are meant for hospital workers who are not directly treating patients diagnosed with COVID-19, as they are not the N95 masks.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, N95 masks are able to filter out at least 95% of particles in the air. Homemade masks, on the other hand, should be used as a last resort, or will ideally be paired with a face shield that covers the entire front and sides of the face.
"Our sewers are sitting at home. They want to do something. They want to help," Siriano told Business of Fashion. "We make insane, crazy things. This is a very easy thing for us to make."
Brandon Maxwell has also joined the effort, and his team tried to make gowns before transitioning to masks
Maxwell's team is making masks in NYC.
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
On March 21, Maxwell shared a statement on Instagram detailing how his team planned to help amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"We have spent the last week researching the appropriate medical textiles to create these gowns and are proud to provide these much-needed items to the doctors and nurses on the front lines of this crisis," his statement read.
A post shared by Brandon Maxwell (@brandonmaxwell) on Mar 20, 2020 at 1:35pm PDT
On March 22, Maxwell tweeted an update that his team had transitioned to making mask covers.
"As you may know, last week our studio began transitioning in to producing PPE starting with gowns. We will transition in to masks and gloves as more information becomes available. For the time being we are producing mask covers," he wrote. "We have been overwhelmed by the response and need from the medical community, as well as our fellow design peers looking to get involved."
Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss has also offered to help
Kerby Jean-Raymond set up a donation center.
David Livingston/Getty Images
Jean-Raymond said he would be turning the brand's office into a donation center for N95 masks and latex gloves, as well as donating $5,000 to buy the same supplies.
A post shared by Kerby Jean-Raymond (@kerbito) on Mar 18, 2020 at 8:17am PDT
Since then, Jean-Raymond updated his followers that the donation grew to $10,000 thanks to lawyers matching his original pledge. The designer has also created a $100,000 fund to help minority and women-owned small creative businesses who are being impacted by the pandemic.
A post shared by Kerby Jean-Raymond (@kerbito) on Mar 24, 2020 at 6:04pm PDT
On March 23, Prabal Gurung announced that his brand is pivoting to making personal protective equipment
Gurung announced his team would be making PPE on Monday.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Gurung shared a statement on Instagram that his team is working in partnership with Cuomo's office and local hospitals to ensure they are producing everything correctly.
"The PG team has been working tirelessly over the course of the last week to finalize an actionable plan to manufacture PPE for medical workers and first responders who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis," he wrote. "As a brand that produces over 90% of our collections in NY, our goal is not only to fill the void of critical PPE, but to mobilize our domestic partners, revitalizing US producers and suppliers."
"While we are eager to share our progress with you all, the Coronavirus crisis is ever evolving, and as new information is revealed, so are new FDA and state regulations. In this moment, credible and validated information is of the utmost importance for the advancement of all COVID-19 relief effort," the designer continued.
A post shared by Prabal Gurung (@prabalgurung) on Mar 23, 2020 at 5:00am PDT
LA-based designer Michael Costello announced he was working with a local manufacturer to produce masks
Costello and his team are working on making masks.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Costello shared a statement on Instagram on March 22 that he would also be making protective face masks.
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"CA is my home and I'm determined to do all I can to not only prevent the spread of COVID-19 but also keep everyone safe. All I ask for is your support … I'm not asking for fame, notoriety, likes, views, or anything else. Thank you! I want to also let every hospital, nurse, caregiver, and first responders know I am taking this very seriously and not just binge-watching my favorite Netflix shows," he wrote.
Since then, Costello posted a video of him at a sewing machine making prototypes of non-medical-grade masks. In the caption, he explained that he has been in contact with someone in Los Angeles who can and will produce medical-grade masks.
"We will not be selling any of these but rather giving them away to all first responders, hospitals, and healthcare providers," he wrote in the caption.
A post shared by M I C H A E L C O S T E L L O (@michaelcostello) on Mar 22, 2020 at 12:35pm PDT
On March 27, Ralph Lauren announced a shift in his production to make medical masks and gowns
Ralph Lauren announced he was donating $10 million.
Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images
The fashion designer announced that The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will start making 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns in the US, as reported by BBC.
"As we face this challenge as a global community, our hope is to continue to be the beacon of optimism and unity that Ralph Lauren and our brands have always been to the world," the statement read.
A post shared by Ralph Lauren (@ralphlauren) on Mar 26, 2020 at 5:14am PDT
Through her foundation, Rihanna donated $5 million to coronavirus relief efforts
Rihanna donated $5 million and PPEs to New York state.
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
On March 21, Rihanna announced that, through her Clara Lionel Foundation, she was donating $5 million to help the response efforts in the United States and around the world. The money will go toward helping local food banks, buying protective equipment for healthcare workers and diagnostic labs, and much more.
"Never has it been more important or urgent to protect and prepare marginalized and underserved communities — those who will be hit hardest by this pandemic." Justine Lucas, executive director of the foundation, said in a statement.
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Cuomo tweeted his praise and thanks to Rihanna for donating personal protective equipment to New York state.
"I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State. We're so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up," Gov. Cuomo wrote in his thread.
On April 5, Carolina Herrera shared a video of the brand's production staff creating hospital gowns.
The designer label's video gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the gowns.
"Every day, we collect raw materials from specialized health institutions, use a pattern that has been digitized to cut and tailor the garments, and deliver the final product for sterilization. We plan day by day to tirelessly meet the changing needs of our doctors, hospitals, and nurses," the captioned read.
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In addition to gowns, Carolina Herrera is also making masks for food and health industry workers.
A post shared by CAROLINA HERRERA (@carolinaherrera) on Apr 5, 2020 at 11:00am PDT
"We are proud to help those who are supporting our communities," part of the caption read.
Just like fashion designers, brands are also answering the call for much-needed supplies
Over the weekend of March 21, Lafayette 148 New York's patternmakers created patterns for surgical gowns that will be digitized and sent off for prototyping. The company is partnering with the Economic Development Corporation and the Brooklyn Navy Yard to help hospitals in the New York area.
On March 24, Gap Inc. shared a statement on Twitter that the company is going to "pivot resources so factory partners can make masks, gowns, and scrubs for healthcare workers on the front lines." The company is working with hospitals in California.
Prada's co-CEOs, Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, along with chairman Carlo Mazzi, donated six intensive care units to help fight the coronavirus spread in Italy. According to WWD, Prada has also committed to making 110,000 surgical masks and 80,000 medical overalls by April 6, upon a request received by the Tuscany region.
Kering — the parent company of Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, and Gucci — announced on March 22 that it will provide the French health service with 3 million surgical masks that the group is purchasing and importing from China.
After Kering's announcement, LVMH — the group that owns brands like Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Celine, Louis Vuitton, and Fenty — said it was ordering 40 million masks from a Chinese supplier, according to The New York Times.
"They have specifically asked for our shoes in an effort to provide ease on their feet, as well as ease of mind as they need the ability to easily clean up before they go home to their families," Rees said.
Canada Goose announced, starting this week, it would be using two repurposed factories to make scrubs for healthcare workers and patient gowns that will be donated for free to Canadian hospitals. The brand's president and CEO, Dani Reiss, also said he won't be taking a salary for the next three months, at least, and is instead donating the money to the Canada Goose Employee Support Fund, an initiative made to help workers impacted by store closures.
A post shared by Canada Goose (@canadagoose) on Mar 25, 2020 at 7:00am PDT
On April 6, Lilly Pulitzer shared a blog post that the brand's employee and factory teams volunteered their time to create 27,000 mask covers with excess fabric. Photos of the healthcare workers and first responders who received the colorful covers were shared on Instagram. Pulitzer donated the covers to over 60 organizations.
A post shared by Lilly Pulitzer (@lillypulitzer) on Apr 6, 2020 at 9:06am PDT
"At Lilly Pulitzer, we believe in making the world a happier place one print at a time. In these current times, we know that our prints can do even more," the caption said.
On April 10, Louis Vuitton announced in an Instagram post that it had produced thousands of hospital gowns that are going to be donated to the frontline staff across six hospitals in the Parisian hospital network, AP-HP.
"These gowns will be created by volunteers at the Maison's headquarters for six Parisian hospitals in urgent need of protective gear. Thank you to everyone who is doing their part to fight this global pandemic," the caption read.
A post shared by Louis Vuitton Official (@louisvuitton) on Apr 10, 2020 at 10:08am PDT
Representatives for Siriano, Maxwell, Jean-Raymond, Gurung, Costello, Prada, Kering, LVMH, Crocs, Gap Inc., Lauren, the Armani Group, Canada Goose, Carolina Herrera, and Lilly Pulitzer did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.