Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the fashion world has essentially come to a standstill, but – while whole fashion weeks are cancelled or presented in a remote format – designers and labels have been working to provide assistance to those that need it most.
Today (March 28) Burberry has announced that it will join the fight against COVID-19, supporting those impacted by the disease and aiming to prevent further infection.
Partly, this aid will come in the form of surgical masks, as well an non-surgical gowns and masks manufactured in the label’s Yorkshire-based trench coat factory. As with LVMH and Kering Group’s coronavirus effort, Burberry’s surgical masks will come from a global supplier, with over 100,000 due to arrive for NHS staff.
Burberry will also fund vaccine research taking place at Oxford University, which is on course to begin human trials next month.
“Donations like this have real and rapid impact, allowing us to be agile in our response, to accelerate this time-critical research,” says Professor Gavin Screaton, the university’s Head of Medical Sciences, in a statement from the label.
The research donation also comes alongside donations to charities including FareShare and The Felix Project, to tackle food poverty and aid those particularly affected by the outbreak. This will include delivering food to young people reliant on school meals, and supporting existing food banks.
Other labels that have pitched in to help those affected by coronavirus and slow its spread include Prada, which is making face masks, and Pyer Moss, which has converted its NYC office into a donation centre for medical supplies. The British Fashion Council has also issued a call for designers to help create masks.