Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a desperate need for life-saving medical supplies such as surgical masks for hospital workers to use to prevent the spread of the illness. To help meet the demand for these products, luxury fashion group Kering S.A. — owners of Gucci, Balenciaga, and Bottega Veneta — announced they will be manufacturing surgical masks. This follows the brand's previous donation of 3 million surgical masks imported from China back in January 2020.
According to the brand, the production will take place in the Balenciaga and Saint Laurent workshops and that they are "preparing to manufacture masks while complying with the strictest health protection measures for their staff members, with production getting underway as soon as the manufacturing process and materials have been approved by the relevant authorities."
Luxury Surgical Mask Productions
Balenciaga and Saint Laurent Will Now Produce Surgical Masks
Trend Themes
1. Luxury Surgical Mask Productions - The trend of luxury fashion brands producing surgical masks to meet the demand for medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Fashion Brands Manufacturing Medical Supplies - The trend of fashion brands expanding their production capabilities to include life-saving medical supplies like surgical masks.
3. Collaboration Between Fashion and Healthcare Industries - The trend of collaboration between luxury fashion brands and healthcare industries in response to the need for medical supplies.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity for luxury fashion brands to diversify their product offerings and contribute to healthcare during emergencies.
2. Healthcare - Disruptive innovation opportunity for the healthcare industry to partner with fashion brands and leverage their manufacturing capabilities to rapidly produce medical supplies.
3. Manufacturing - Disruptive innovation opportunity for manufacturers to adapt their production processes to meet the demand for essential medical supplies like surgical masks.