Fighting COVID-19 ~How The Design Industry Is Giving Back~

In order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus the CDC is now recommending that everyone wear a non-medical face mask in public. In our new world of social distancing, this is especially important in settings such as the pharmacy, subway, and grocery store. Well documented sources are showing us that the virus is mainly spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets when an infected person sneezes, talks in close proximity to others and coughs. This life-changing global pandemic has altered the way we live and we would like to share how some of our favorite fabric and fashion industry leaders are helping ones in need. Many companies have ceased production altogether, but many have heeded the call and have stepped up to diminish the adverse effects caused by COVID-19. It is inflicting critical shortages of supplies for us all and in a profound and inspiring display, our community of design professionals upon the global health sector is pitching in to support the relief efforts. We’ve been impressed by the commitment to stopping the spread of this disease and we wanted to take a moment to recognize a few of our favorite companies with a resounding round of applause.

1. Kravet

   One of our favorite fabric companies with their wide variety of decorative fabrics is certainly doing their part! So far they have donated 3,100 yards of fabric and have turned their Anderson facilities to manufacture and sew much-needed face masks for medical professionals, first responders, and patients on the front lines of this pandemic.

2. Schumacher

The iconic textile house Fshumacher has donated over 600 plus yard of fabric to a variety of recipients. The company shipped 500 yards to the Woodard Furniture factory in Michigan, where Jean Liu oversees the transition to manufacturing masks. Their talented upholstery department spends countless hours a day sewing as many as 1000 non-N95 masks per day to donate to medical facilities in need.

*Schumacher has donated many of its famous “Leaping Leopards” pattern*

3. Chanel

Chanel is donating over 50,000 masks to health-care workers and is currently seeking approval to begin producing protective masks and hospital gowns.

4. Fabricut

Fabric distributor Fabricut is making masks for health care workers. Their talented workers are making two kinds of masks; one with Fabricut fabric in a reversible design, and one using medial grade fabric provided to Fabricut by a local medical center in Tulsa. They will be providing fabrics to Wesley Hall Furniture who has a dedicated crew to make several hundred N95 mask covers for use by the medical staff at various hospitals in NY, Michigan and California.

5. Pindler

One of our favorite go-to fabrics is Pindler. They’ve spent more than 70 years in business perfecting the art of fabric design and development for interior designers and it shows! They have recently reallocated their team of seamstresses to participate in face mask making for the #millionmaskchallenge to help combat critical mask shortages in the wake of the virus. The #millionmaskchallenge is a community movement started by Providence, a network of hospitals and care centers that helps doctors, nurses and heal care professionals in the fight.

“We are tremendously grateful for the health care professionals who are working fearlessly to save lives during these challenging times ”, “We are all in this together, and we are trying to help in every way we can,” said Pindler’s president, Shean Quinn.