FASHION-BEAUTY

The British fashion brand renovates its commitment to the pandemic response by donating to UNICEF’s COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal

Text by: Gilda Bruno

Ever since the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, Burberry has always been at the forefront of the worldwide effort aimed at reducing the spread and negative impact of the pandemic by all means necessary. 

Whether this meant supplying masks and gowns for healthcare workers and patients, funding the University of Oxford’s research into single-dose vaccine, or raising money for charities addressing food poverty across the United Kingdom, the British luxury fashion house never backed down when it came to staying true to such mission. Not even when, between January and March 2020, the company was called to witness an unprecedented, COVID-19-induced fall in the label’s shares. 

“Our primary concern is the global health emergency and we continue to take every precaution to help prevent the spread of the virus and ensure the safety and wellbeing of our employees, partners, and customers,” said Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s Chief Executive Officer, on that occasion. 

Last Thursday, almost exactly one year on the previous statement, the fashion brand renovated its enduring devotion to the cause by announcing that all proceeds from Burberry and the Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund — the global emergency relief fund launched by the label in April 2020 — will be donated to the UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal. 

“We believe everybody should have equal access to COVID-19 vaccines,” explained the British luxury fashion house in a tweet. “You can make a difference by donating to the UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal, protecting families and communities from the devastating impacts of the virus.” 

Developed to “help deliver vaccines, tests, and treatment to protect health workers and people at high risk in low and middle-income countries,” the UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccines Appeal provides support to the most vulnerable communities around the world by collecting single or monthly donations via the organisation’s online platforms. 

“Through the Global COVAX Facility, UNICEF is working on the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in modern history,” reads the caption of the coronavirus-dedicated Burberry’s website page. “The charity is collaborating with manufacturers and partners, aiming to make 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines available across 190 countries by the end of the year.” 

Elsewhere in the fashion world, Italian style icon Brunello Cucinelli announced that his brand and the Brunello Cucinelli and Federica Cucinelli Foundation will finance a vaccination center in Solomeo — the town that is home to the label’s headquarters — in an operation that spotlights the sincere dedication of numerous fashion brands to the fight against the global pandemic.