The LVMH Group has ramped up the mobilisation of its COVID-19 relief initiatives around the world.
Across its luxury portfolio, several LVMH brands have launched programmes to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic and support various stakeholders through the crisis.
Spanish leathergoods brand Loewe is donating a portion of its new ‘Paula’s Ibiza’ collection to the Plataforma de Infancia, to support children in socially vulnerable groups in Spain.
Several LVMH brands have also participated in Fashion Journalist Laurence Benaïm’s charity auction, which benefited the ‘SOS EPHAD’ initiative launched by the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer. The funds will be used to support nursing homes, which have been greatly impacted by the health crisis.
As reported, several LVMH fashion brands have teamed up to manufacture personal protective equipment and face masks for healthcare workers and medical front liners worldwide. These include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior Couture, Loewe, Celine, Kenzo and Fred.
LVMH Vins d’Exceptions — the division that handles the group’s wine estates — is showing solidarity for restaurant and hotel partners, who have been hard-hit by global lockdown measures.
The company released a special gift set — featuring six bottles from Clos des Lambrays, Château d’Yquem and Château Cheval Blanc — with all proceeds to be donated to three hospitality charities. These include the Fondation de France (France), Hospitality Action (UK) and the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund (US).
Since the early days of the outbreak, the LVMH group has been proactive with its relief efforts. As reported, it deployed the production facilities of several of Christian Dior, Guerlain, and Parfums Givenchy to produce much-needed hydroalcoholic gels to aid French hospitals on 15 March.
Since then, large quantities of the sanitising gel have been distributed to Paris hospitals, regional health establishments, municipalities, NGOs, Air France, supermarket chains, and the Paris Police Prefecture. It also donated critical medical supplies to the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris-Hôpitaux de France.
The perfumes & cosmetics brands will continue to produce 50 to 60 tonnes of hand sanitiser weekly, with production to continue for as long as necessary.
According to the company, similar initiatives have been launched in the Bvlgari Lodi plant in Italy’s hard-hit Lombardy region, as well as in LVMH territories in Poland and the US.
As reported, LVMH successfully delivered 40 million surgical and FFP2 masks to French health authorities. The French luxury giant also sourced over 300 respirators which were delivered to French hospitals throughout April.
The company also donated 50,000 disposable gowns to the Paris Hospital system, 30,000 to other regional hospitals, and 65,000 pairs of gloves to the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infections in Marseille. It plans to source an additional 2 million PPEs for Paris hospitals in the coming weeks.
In addition, the group sourced 400,000 serology tests for BioGoup labs in France with a portion allocated for nursing homes. It also donated eight machines that have the capability to automatically process hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 diagnostic tests.
LVMH also played a key role in the signing of an agreement between the French government and South Korean test manufacturer Suggentech. As part of this agreement, 400 tests are now being trialled at the La Pitié-Salpêtrière and Bichat hospitals in Paris, with plans to roll out the tests if they meet the requirements of relevant health authorities.
LVMH Group’s regional subsidiaries have also launched a number of educational, financial, and social initiatives. As reported, LVMH North America has partnered with charity United Way of New York City, to launch a pilot remote coaching programme for students in under-served neighbourhoods.
Elsewhere in the US, several LVMH Maisons — including Moët Hennessy, Fresh, Sephora, and Starboard Cruise Services — have teamed up to join the country’s collective effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Moët Hennessy made financial donations to the US Bartender’s Guild and the National Restaurant Association Education Fund; while Fresh sent 10,000 units of skincare products to isolation centres and to healthcare professionals in several New York hospitals.
Sephora and LVMH beauty brands incubator Kendo have launched Virtual Volunteer Programs to encourage employees to contribute their skills to local communities; while Starboard Cruise Services sent employees personal care packages to thank them for their ongoing service.
In the outbreak’s early days, LVMH Group made significant cash and in-kind donations to the Chinese Red Cross. It also delivered medical supplies to the Wuhan epidemic treatment centre.
