Designer brand Louis Vuitton has reopened numerous production sites in France to make medical masks and gowns during the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, the company announced that it would repurpose its workshops to produce hundreds of thousands of nonsurgical masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and elderly residents, according to Yahoo Style UK.
On Twitter Friday, the company thanked those working to combat the pandemic.
Between 20 and 30 percent of the masks will be kept for internal use and the rest will be donated to retirement homes, according to the Cut.
“The gowns will be provided to frontline workers in six Parisian hospitals that are taking care of patients suffering from the coronavirus,” the article read.
Following the announcement, Louis Vuitton Chairman and CEO Michael Burke said the company was gearing up to produce 100,000 masks a week.
“As an important French House, Louis Vuitton wishes to commit at its level to producing many thousands of masks that will be distributed within the region, at no charge, to protect those who are most exposed,” he commented.
The company’s artisans were also ready to get back to work and join the efforts to make the much-needed products, according to WWD.
“Being confined at home is not very pleasant, but above all, I wanted to make myself useful,” said Christine Brosseau, a worker at Sainte-Florence.
“You just have to listen to the news to realize there is a big shortage of this type of item. Making masks that can be recycled is even better, because it’s also good for the environment,” she continued.
Wednesday, Burke noted that distributing masks to France’s elderly population and those caring for them was a huge priority for the company.
“There are many people that are in these retirement homes and they’re the most vulnerable,” he said, adding, “We absolutely want to do our social duty.”