Designer Christian Siriano and his team are sewing face masks for hospital workers in New York to combat the reported supply shortages amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 34-year-old Project Runway winner reached out to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo via Twitter on Friday to offer his services as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state soared to more than 7,000.
‘If @NYGovCuomo says we need masks my team will help make some. I have a full sewing team still on staff working from home that can help,’ Siriano tweeted.
Doing his part: Christian Siriano and his team are sewing face masks for New York healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus
Getting it done: The 34-year-old designer took to his Instagram Stories on Friday to share videos of his staffers hard at work making masks
‘Thank you. Please follow back and we will DM you,’ Cuomo responded.
In a subsequent tweet, the governor shared that he is in contact with Siriano.
‘Appreciate his help so much,’ he added. ‘Who’s next? Let’s do this together, NY!’
Siriano wasted no time with production after speaking with Cuomo, and he took to his Instagram Stories to say: ‘We are working on this and will have masks and gowns ready to go ASAP.’
‘Guys these will be very simple it is not for fashion it is to help people,’ he added while sharing footage of his staffers sewing the supplies. ‘Hopefully we can make hundreds of these quickly.’
Purpose: ‘Guys these will be very simple it is not for fashion it is to help people,’ he wrote while sharing footage of his staffers sewing the supplies
The designer also shared a black and white clip of one of his team members modeling a prototype of a mask they made.
‘We will be making a few versions of this in order to help as many people as we can,’ he wrote. ‘Here is the process so we can get a perfect fit. More to come thank you everyone we hope to get these to the right people ASAP.’
Siriano’s call to action on social media was praised by Twitter users and inspired other people and companies to offer up their services.
‘I second that @csiriano! @hedleyandbennett can help make face masks, gowns, etc in our 16,000 sq ft factory in LA @NYGovCuomo!’ tweeted apron company Hedley & Bennett.
‘We have a full sewing team ready to help and are in this together! Please tag anyone who can get us in touch with their team and spread this message!’
Teamwork: Siriano reached out to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo via Twitter to offer his services as the total number of confirmed cases in the state soared to more than 7,000
Working together: In a subsequent tweet, the governor shared that he is in contact with Siriano
‘I was thinking the same thing. I’ve got a small factory that can pump out masks, too. We’re in the east village, small. But could probably make 500 a day,’ Pamela Barsky responded.
Federal officials have told health workers the nation’s stockpile doesn’t have enough basic medical equipment like masks and gowns to meet the expected crush of coronavirus cases.
Doctors and nurses across the country have already reported shortages in the supplies that they need to keep safe while on the front lines fighting the illness. Many have resorted to reusing asks or making their own out of office supplies.
In just one day, 2,950 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in New York, and Cuomo ordered all non-essential workers to stay home starting on Sunday.
He also made an impassioned plea for hospital equipment and announced that he would fund any business that could mass manufacture surgical masks.
As of Friday, there are more than 18,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and 230 deaths.
Chipping in: Siriano’s call to action on social media was praised by Twitter users and inspired other people and companies to offer up their service
Deaconess Health System in Evansville, Indiana, has gone as far as asking the public to sew CDC-compliant face masks for medical workers fighting the virus.
Meanwhile, the sneaker brand Allbirds has announced that it is donating shoes to anyone who works in healthcare in the U.S. and is on the front lines. The offer for the $95 Tuke Matcha Wool Runners is valid while supplies last.
Actress Kristen Bell was happy to use her platform to promote the initiative on her Instagram Stories on Friday, writing: ‘Thank u @allbirds.’
Fashion designers and brands around the world are chipping in as well.
The French conglomerate LVMH announced at the start of the week that it will use perfume production lines at three factories to manufacture large quantities of hydroalcoholic gel, or hand sanitizer, amid a ‘lack of product in France.’
The Louis Vuitton owner started production on Monday in a bid to enable ‘a greater number of people’ to ‘take the right action’ during the global health pandemic.
Announcement: Siriano shared on his Instagram Stories that they will have masks and gowns ready as soon as possible and one of his friends called him a hero
Generous: The sneaker brand Allbirds has announced that it is donating shoes to anyone who works in healthcare in the U.S., and Kristen Bell promoted in the initiative on Instagram
Inditex, the owner of the fast-fashion fashion retailer Zara, announced earlier this week that it would be making masks to donate to the Spanish government.
The Spain-based company said that it would make its factories and its logistics teams available to help with the donations for healthcare workers and patients, with a company spokesperson saying that it will ‘make a delivery at least once a week of materials we purchase directly’.
‘Inditex has already donated 10,000 protective face masks and by the end of this week expects to be in a position to ship another 300,000 surgical masks,’ the statement continued.
And on Thursday, the British Fashion Council took to Instagram to ask designers with production capacity to ‘help in the manufacture of essential products including masks.’
‘In times of need, the fashion industry can be of service,’ the nonprofit wrote.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America has yet to make a similar call to action, and it’s unclear if it has plans to do so.