Ralph Lauren pledges $10 million for coronavirus relief efforts

The fashion community is at the forefront in the fight against the coronavirus, and Ralph Lauren is the latest to join in the relief efforts.

The 80-year-old designer recently announced his company will donate $10 million and consider manufacturing masks for coronavirus relief that will benefit Emergency Assistance Foundation & World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

The brand is also 'working to assess the need and technical requirements for medical-grade materials like masks and isolation gowns that guard against virus transmission'.

Internally, the brand is also offering financial grants to Ralph Lauren employees facing special circumstances due to the coronavirus, like medical, elder-care, or child-care needs.

“At the heart of our company, there has always been a spirit of togetherness that inspires our creativity, our confidence and most importantly our support for one another. In the past weeks and months, that spirit has never wavered,” Lauren said in a statement. “We believe that no matter who you are or where you are from, we are all connected. That is why we are taking significant action to help our teams and communities through this crisis.”

The donation is the largest so far among American fashion brands, but leaders throughout the global fashion industry are scrambling to redirect resources, making hand sanitizer, face masks, and other supplies.