Fashion calls for conversion. Objective: to fight Covid-19. Specifically: to find companies able to temporarily move their production axis to packaging masks (and not only) necessary to avoid the spread of the infection. The president of Confindustria Moda, Claudio Marenzi, has made at the call to all the companies in the sector.
Fashion launches the call
The invitation is to provide non-woven fabric to produce masks, gowns, garter covers and all other personal protective equipment. There are no more on the market and many operators, especially healthcare, do not have them available. Therefore, Marenzi asks to join forces. And maybe convert production, for what is possible.
Contact Erika Andreetta
The first “very urgent call” runs on social media and, as Il Foglio reports, sets Erika Andreetta, partner of PwC, as the reference point. “There is a need for non-woven fabric, that is TNT – reads -. If you have any in stock, contact @erikaandreetta immediately (please repost, thank you)”. The second touches the production part: “Are you a laboratory or a packaging company? You must produce disposable lab coats in water repellent TNT, surgical masks, FFFP and FFP3 masks, boot covers and cuf in water repellent TNT. If you are available, please contact @erikaandreetta”.
The initiatives
Miroglio group in Alba has already delivered 15,000 masks to Piemonte region. And in the next few days it will make another 500,000 available. An immediate response also came from Campania.
Leather goods factory Alviero Rodriguez in Melito, in the suburb north of Naples, has temporarily put aside leather to produce masks. The garments were then donated to the Municipality of Casoria, in Campania.
Everyn shoe factory in Capanne – Montopoli Val D’Arno (Pisa) is starting to produce TNT masks, which will be donated to the municipality of Montopoli.
Manifattura di Domodossola decided to freely make the elastic bands needed to make masks available.
Politecnico di Bari is coordinating some local companies that produce clothing, diapers and sanitary napkins and footwear.
In Naples, Kiton says to be interested in the conversion process.
Among the companies that are already producing masks, there are Artemisia, a textile company in Mantua, Santini in Bergamo and Dreoni Giovanna in Vaiano (Prato).
Then BC Boncar in Busto Arsizio (Varese), and GDA di Pierluigi Gaballo in Galatina (Lecce). Finally, Machattie in Prato and Montrasio Italia in Aicurzio (Monza-Brianza).
Even in Serbia, companies in the leather industry are giving their contribution. As local media reports, the manufacturer of car interiors and leather seats Boxmark Leather announced that it is ready to produce protective masks. The machines present in the Kidričevo plant have already been set up, and the delivery of the necessary materials only is expected. Production is expected to start next week, and will involve all lines. As CEO Marjan Trobiš explained to Total Slovenia News, the company will manufacture the masks only for the employees of the national public system. “Each country protects its interests and does not allow the export of these products – explains the manager – so we decided to help our nation”.
