As the country continues to fight the second wave of this deadly pandemic, the fashion industry has once again rallied together to contribute in every capacity. Skipping their regular content for a while, design houses are using their platforms to amplify details about Covid resources. Labels have redirected their profits towards charities and are constantly working together with NGOs to provide relief. Some brands are creating guides on their social media to segregate important medical and other essential information for those in need. In an all-hands-on-deck kind of situation, fashion designers are safeguarding their own as well as those who are left on their own.
Take a look at all the design houses that are going above and beyond during these times of crisis.
1. Saundh
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Indian wear label Saundh is working with a Surat-based NGO to set up 100 beds COVID treatment facility near their factory in Surat. The set-up is already live with 40-beds and counting. The Covid Relief space includes not only medical supplies but also food and other necessities at no cost. For their own employees, they have organised vaccination camps (starting this month), at their office/ factory premises.
2. Gaurav Gupta
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Couturier Gaurav Gupta has dedicated his entire social media feed towards raising awareness, collecting funds, highlighting organisations that are doing the groundwork and magnifying these humanitarian establishments by hosting lives and transparently letting the audiences know about their work. So far, the designer has collated a guide for donations, resources and invited Hartheerath Singh (Community Development Head, Hemkunt Foundation) and the chief of Give India for informative conversations on his social media handle.
3. Le Mill
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For the betterment of the craft clusters in India, Le Mill, in collaboration with its home-grown labels, have started the Fabric of Life initiative. Through this, they will let go of all the profits and commissions from sales this month to make sure the money is redirected towards the weavers, artisans and karigars. Design houses like Eká, Tallin Jewels, De Castro, Agaro Jewellers, Sapna Mehta Jewellery and Project 810 recruit a large majority of craftsmen and women and this kind if commitment is important to protect this community’s livelihood.
4. Arpita Mehta
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Arpita Mehta has introduced #WishfulWednesday, where every Wednesday for the entire month of May, the designer’s kaftans will be available at 20 per cent off, and 100 per cent proceeds from this will be donated to different verified organisations helping with Covid relief. This week, the label has partnered with ROK (Ripples Of Kindness). They have set up an infrastructure to help out with the oxygen crisis in India through a campaign called, Help India Breathe. Through this initiative, oxygen concentrators will be donated to hospitals around India that are in dire need, for free. They are also working towards providing oxygen concentrators at home for patients who are having trouble finding a hospital bed.
5. Gauri & Nainika
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Designers Gauri & Nainika have launched a fundraiser that works towards arranging oxygen concentrators for hospitals in desperate need. The label has joined forces with the Ketto foundation, and 100 per cent of the proceeds will go directly to the NGO Doctors For You. They have already crowdsourced INR 40,00,000 and are continuing this initiative until the situation is under control.
6. Papa Don’t Preach By Shubhika
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After raising around twenty-nine lakhs last year for her own artisans and karigars, founder Shubhika of Papa Don’t Preach is all set to do the same for the Covid relief work in 2021. On every purchase, 20 per cent will be redirected towards organisations like Hemkunt Foundation for oxygen cylinders, Mission Oxygen India for oxygen concentrators in hospitals. MCKS Food for the Hungry Delhi for distribution of food and N95 masks to the underprivileged and Srujna Charitable trust for providing safety kits and urgent medical assistance.
7. JJ Valaya
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Veteran designer JJ Valaya has decided to donate 20 per cent of all his sales to three humanitarian organisations Hemkunt Foundation, Give India and Khalsa Aid India, as these platforms are selflessly working towards tackling the crisis.
8. Anita Dongre
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As one of India’s leading designers, Anita Dongre is setting an example by using her voice to escalate the medical crisis of the country. In different posts, the designer has assembled lists of NGOs that are making a difference, mental health resources and volunteering groups that people can join to fight this catastrophe. Apart from this, she runs a solo foundation that supports marginal workers, small vendors, and artisans associated with the brand.
9. Amit Aggarwal
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Inspired by the past year of his life, designer Amit Aggarwal is creating a limited edition of art prints, all hand-drawn by the creative director himself. The proceeds from the sales of these prints will be donated to MCKS Food for the Hungry Delhi, an organisation that is providing hot meals, dry ration kits and protective gear to those who need it.
