Chanel & Burberry vs Coronavirus

Needless to say, the now infamous name 'COVID-19' has changed history forever. In just a few months, there have been unprecedented changes that will surely have major and lasting repercussions around the world, but despite discouraging predictions, there are some news that habe put a smile on our faces.

The fashion industry is one of those that is facing a crisis of incredible proportions in these moments. All the dirty secrets that have been pushed under the carpet have come to the surface, and suddenly concepts like sustainability, human resources and ethics are becoming extremely popular. First of all, it begs the question who, at these moments, needs fashion as such, especially luxury. But unlike many of the problems she faces, many high-fashion houses have decided to do their utmost to help in the current situation. It is quite clear that in the next few months, there will be changes that will change the narrative of business in the fashion industry, but we will leave those predictions aside for now. In these moments, the fashion industry, to be exact some of the biggest luxury fashion brands, decided to make laudable moves to do everything in their power.

Thus, Prada donated six intensive care units to hospitals in Milan, the LVMH conglomerate transformed perfume and cosmetics factories into the manufacture of hand cleaners, and the Kering Group did the same. Daniel Lee, creative director at Bottega Venetta, has decided to focus his creative vision on a new platform that will inspire the work of many creatives from the world of design, art and culture and allow them to spread their influence around the world.

In recent news, Burberry has announced that their iconic balloon-making factory, based in Yorkshire, UK, is today starting to manufacture hospital gowns and face masks, which will then be distributed to hospitals across the country with the help of an already elaborate production chain. Also, the University of Oxford is developing a vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic, funded by the British fashion house, as well as initiatives to address the needs of the hungry and the poor, which have been particularly affected by this crisis. Working with several charities, Riccardo Tisci said he is particularly pleased that he and Burberry can be a great partner in times like this and help those who need it most.

Another laudable move comes from the cult fashion house Chanel in response to the extremely critical situation France has found itself in. Specifically, she shifted the production and production of fashion pieces from current collections to the production of face masks and hospital gowns and donated € 1.2 million to the healthcare system in France. Also, despite the difficult situation in which the entire world was found, Chanel stood behind its employees and pledged not to lay off any workers, despite the inevitable fall in income. Such significant moves by the biggest fashion giants will certainly inspire others to do as much as they can.