Fashion is playing against Covid-19. In the face of Coronavirus emergency, brands open their hearts and wallets. The global fashion system is intervening with donations to benefit research and hospitals. In recent days many entrepreneurs from different industrial sectors have allocated funds to support research and the activity of the health system. Among them are big names in fashion too. For example, Giorgio Armani, Etro, Manila Grace, Carpisa, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana. Then there are LVMH and Kering, Swarovski and Alibaba.
Armani’s choice
Armani group has announced the donation of 1,250 million euros to various national health institutions. Among them the Lombard hospitals Luigi Sacco and San Raffale. Then there are Istituto dei Tumori in Milan and Spallanzani hospital in Rome. But the fund will also support civil protection activities. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Giorgio Armani (in the photo – Shutterstock) explained that he had chosen Milan “when I was a boy, and the Reconstruction erased the rubble of the war”. This is why “I continue to choose Milano, because even when it trembles it does not let itself be overwhelmed – continues the designer -. Because it thinks of tomorrow, living today. Because it doesn’t know the word surrender. Wouldn’t this be an opportunity to join forces to ensure that all that we love in Milan is back in the eyes of the world?”.
Donations for the research and the hospitals
The two French luxury giants also took the field against Covid-19. LVMH group has donated 2.3 million dollar for the research against the virus, while Kering group has allocated 1.3 million dollars. Alibaba put 14 million dollars on the plate. The donation was split between two Chinese government research organisations involved in identifying a cure. These are the Chinese Academy of Sciences (to which approximately 5.8 million went) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
The brands’ solidarity
Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were too on the front lines, supporting the research of Humanitas University to identify a cure. Moreover, meaningful help came from Bulgari to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome. The contribution will go towards the purchase of technologies for prevention and treatment. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Bulgari gave Spallanzani the new Leica Thunder Imager 3D Cell Culture & Live Cell microscope. The CEO of the brand Jean-Christophe Babin and the executive vice president of Sales & Retail Lelio Gavazza attended the delivery ceremony. “The new microscopic image acquisition system represents a fundamental tool for research that will lead to the prevention and treatment of the virus – the hospital communicated in a note -. It will then be placed in the Research laboratories of the same Pavilion”.
Indirect support
Sacco hospital’s infectious disease department will be able to count on the support of maison Manila Grace. The company has announced that it will donate 5 euros for each receipt issued in March. Etro then dedicated a special t-shirt to contribute to the activity of Sacco hospital. A simple writing but with a strong message: “Milan never stops”. Carpisa instead joined forces with Yamamay. The two brands have launched together the message “Long live love, long live life”. The initiative was accompanied by financial support to Sacco hospital. The proceeds of Saturday, February 29th, and Sunday, March 1st, of the Milanese shops in Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Piazza Cordusio were donated to the health institution.
The Ferragnez
Chiara Ferragni (in the photo, Shutterstock, on the right) and Fedez have sensitised their followers with a story on Instagram. Then they started a fundraiser on the platform “gofundme” with the aim of raising 4 million euros to strengthen the intensive care of San Raffaele hospital in Milan. It started with the donation of 100,000 euros from the promoters of the initiative, at the time of writing the sum raised exceeded 3.6 million euros.
Personal donation
Marco Bizzarri (pictured Imagoeconomica, on the left) has personally donated 100,000 euros to Reggio Emilia healthcare company. “Our healthcare system, which in these hours is responding to the Coronavirus emergency with absolute dedication and absolute heroism – said the manager, born right in the Emilian town – deserves the gratitude of each of us, and our support. The countries that before us have faced this emergency show us that the work of scientists and health workers is invaluable. Compliance with precautionary rules, however strict, is fundamental”.
The brand Malloni project
In addition to donations, including the 1.1 million euros donation from Hong Kong businessman Adrian Cheng, there are plans. The brand Malloni has decided to celebrate its 20 years in business with a limited edition shoe. Each pair will be made on request. This means that craftsmen and professionals will devote themselves to the production of each single pair that will be numbered by hand. The maximum expected production is 202 pieces. The proceeds of the initiative will be donated to Fatebenefratelli Hospital – Isola Tiberina in Rome. According to entrepreneur Fabio Malloni, “our company wants to be an example: it is time for everyone, including companies, to ask themselves what they can do for the community”. Floriana Orsetto, designer of the line, adds: “Today we want to do and give”.
