Fashion Designers Create Protective Masks to Curb Shortage

The coronavirus pandemic has crashed economies, pushed health-care systems to their limit, and forced people out of public spaces and into their homes. The pandemic has disrupted society on a scale that most of us have never witnessed. Quite quickly, overburdened hospitals became overwhelmed and ran out of basic protective equipment, such as masks, gowns, and gloves. The most important thing we must do in order to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus is to keep health care workers healthy by producing masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment.

Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell, Prada, and Armani are some of the fashion brands who are directing their resources to make face masks and medical gowns. Recently, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted a public call to action for “creativity” to help provide medical staff with much needed equipment. Cuomo also stated that New York will pay a premium and offer to fund for those who contribute. Designer Siriano took up the call to action and tweeted, “If we need masks my team can make them! I have sewers and pattern makers ready to help working from home.” He even posted prototypes of the masks on Twitter that same day.

Bulgari is making bottles of hand sanitizer in recyclable bottles. They will be given to medical facilities and the Italian government. “I believe as a major economic actor and symbol of Italy, Bulgari has a responsibility to contribute to the national effort to help prevent, fight and eradicate COVID-19. We believe it is our duty to contribute with our know-how and production facilities,” CEO Jean-Christophe Babin said Wednesday in a statement.

Maxwell, who has styled Lady Gaga, Ana de Armas, Margot Robbie, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, made a statement on Instagram of his plans to help contribute. “In response to this global crisis, we are now focusing our creative efforts on manufacturing PPE (personal protective equipment), starting with gowns. 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.”