USA Fashion Brands Respond to the Pandemic
Many luxury fashion brands in Europe have leveraged their commitment to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Burberry, LVMH, Hermes, Armani and many others have all aligned themselves to this cause, by manufacturing PPE, donating money, and not relying on government support for employees, or a mix of these. But what about across the pond? How have USA fashion brands responded to the COVID-19 crisis? Take a look at a few labels that have made a difference.
Ralph Lauren
In March 2020, Ralph Lauren donated $10 million to charities fighting coronavirus. This included a donation of $1 million to the CFDA, the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The brand also stated that it would be making 250,000 masks and 25,000 hospital gowns to be distributed to medical services in the United States.
A month later, the fashion house helped the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, a cancer treatment centre in London, enabling the hospital to purchase a machine dedicated to testing for COVID-19.
Professor Mitch Dowsett, head of the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research at The Royal Marsden said of the generous donation:
“Thanks to The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, we can bring Covid-19 testing in-house, increasing the volume of NHS staff and cancer patients across London, that can be tested and significantly speeding up the turnaround of results.”
The brand has also donated 50,000 Ralph Lauren products, including pyjamas, T-shirts and other loungewear, to NHS staff and volunteers across UK hospitals.
Tiffany & Co.
Through the Tiffany & Co Foundation, in April 2020 the brand pledged $1 million to COVID-19 relief efforts. The donation was split in two with the WHO Solidarity Response Fund receiving receive $750,000 while $250,000 went to the New York Community Trust’s NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund. The jeweller has also promised to match any employee donations, dollar for dollar. Anisa Kamadoli Costa, Chairman and President of the Tiffany & Co. Foundation stated:
“During this global health crisis, we must all be responsive to the urgent needs of our global communities. We are proud to support organizations providing immediate relief for communities impacted by Covid-19, including our hometown of New York.”
Michael Kors
Michael Kors, the American lifestyle brand has donated $1 million to support relief efforts in New York, including NYC hospital systems, the God’s Love We Deliver meal donation service, and the CFDA’s A Common Thread initiative. The brand’s namesake and John Idol, the longstanding CEO of the luxury label, have said they will make personal contributions of an additional $1 million towards the fight against the virus.
Nike
Nike is not a luxury fashion brand but its efforts in the coronavirus turmoil should not go unnoticed. The Oregon-headquartered company has committed more than $15 million to COVID-19 global response efforts. In March 2020, the brand also announced that it was prototyping PPE products, in which face masks would be made from shoe parts. As of 1 May 2020, Nike has provided 290,000 masks to 20 plus hospitals in the United States.
