French Luxury Brands Come Together
In the panic of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is reeling from shock: that of unexpected death, isolation and the bleak economic outlook for the future. But not all the news is bad. In France, some luxury fashion brands have come together, making a remarkable effort to serve the community and support their employees.
A Critical Element
In March 2020, LVHM, the conglomerate behind Louis Vuitton, Moet & Chandon, Tag Heuer, Bulgari and many more, announced that it would use the production lines of Guerlain, Christian Dior and Givenchy to produce large amounts of hand sanitizer. The unbranded sanitizer was distributed free of charge to French authorities and Europe’s largest hospital system. According to Forbes, LVMH had addressed the global shortage of hand sanitizer – a key element in the prevention of COVID-19.
Little Hands Make Light Work
In April 2020, Louis Vuitton converted five of its French workshops in order to make masks in a country suffering a shortage of protective face coverings. Dior, also part of LVMH, started making masks for hospital staff a month earlier. LVHM said:
“In an exceptional show of solidarity, our wonderful petites are working tirelessly” to protect health workers.”
Those who make luxury clothes are monikered petites mains or “little hands.”
Government Support
Fashion giants Kering and LVMH told their employees that they would be placed on the emergency government assistance schemes made available by the French government. However, when they witnessed other large luxury brands such as Hermes and Chanel pledging to cope without state support, they reversed their decisions. On 28 March 2020, Chanel made this statement:
“Our aim is not to weigh on the public accounts so the French state can prioritise help to the most vulnerable companies and focus its resources on the health system and its doctors and nurses.”
Hermes Sets the Standard
Hermes continues to pay its 15,500 employees their regular salary without government support. The luxury fashion brand has donated £17.5 million (€20 million) to public hospitals in Paris. Furthermore, it has supplied 30 tons of hand sanitizer and 31,000 masks, produced in its factories, to the French medical authorities.
LVMH and Kering Personal Donations
LVMH’s Bernard Arnault and Kering’s François-Henri Pinault, are the richest and third-richest individuals in France. Recently, both have made substantial donations to organizations fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
