With Coronavirus having taken over the world during the course of the past few months, help in any form is welcomed. Louis Vuitton, the luxury fashion house under the LVMH brand, is doing its bit. Best known for their coveted monogrammed handbags, Vuitton has now moved to producing face masks instead.
France is facing a shortage of protective gear for medical workers, which has forced them to order more than 1 billion face masks from overseas. The French president Emmanuel Macron urged French companies to pitch in and fill in the gap with the current scarcity of healthcare equipment.
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At the factory situated in Saint Florence in Western France, Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke noted the change that has taken placed on the floors with the switch in production. "It's the first time I'm seeing a workshop without any background noise. When we get here in the morning, the first thing we hear is the sound of sewing machines," says Mr. Burke.
The brand has dedicated 300 artisans across 5 factory floors with a goal of producing thousands of face masks. And it definitely isn't alone. Many firms have rejigged their manufacturing operations to produce hand sanitisers, ventilators and more. The face masks by Louis Vuitton only come in white without the globally recognizable LV logo.
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On Instagram, the company has released images with their statement in the caption which says, 'In order to provide protective gear to healthcare workers, Louis Vuitton has repurposed several of the Maison's ateliers across France to produce hundreds of thousands of non-surgical face masks. In partnership with the Mode Grande Ouest textile network, this initiative will donate the much-needed protective gear to frontline healthcare workers. Thank you to the hundreds of artisans who have volunteered to create these masks, as well as everyone doing their part to fight this global pandemic.'
They have also announced the production of hospital gowns with photos and a caption stating, 'Louis Vuitton announces the production of thousands of hospital gowns to be donated to frontline medical staff within the Parisian hospital network AP-HP. These gowns will be created by volunteers at the Maison's headquarters for six Parisian hospitals in urgent need of protective gear. Thank you to everyone who is doing their part to fight this global pandemic.'
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