LuxeBook April 2020

APRIL 2020 | 21 CONSCIOUS LUXURY 20 | APRIL 2020 Luxury brands in India and abroad have joined forces to defeat COVID-19. Their workshops, kitchens, factories and hotels are working overtime to make masks and sanitizers, feed migrant labourers, pay wages to out-of-work craftsmen and offer accommodation to doctors and medical personnel our contingency plan. As a business house, we always try to remain nimble in our business plans to be able to respond to any situation,” says K Radharaman, Director of House of Angadi in an e-mail interview. “We have pledged to continue providing full wage support to the hundreds of weavers and artisans we work with, regardless of their ability to work from home. Personally, I have donated one month’s salary toWHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.” Farah Khan Fine Jewellery: Fine jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali has pledged to donate five per cent of the profits made on every sale to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Maharashtra, until we are completely virus-free. Her statement on her Instagram account said, “Collectively we can all make a difference. Be safe. Be brave. This too shall pass.” Karleo: Fashion brand Karleo will be making 5,000 masks for BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) sweepers and personnel of other essential services, from saved clothes in their workshops. VLCC: VLCC Personal Care Ltd. announced the commencement of production of hand sanitizers at its GMP certified manufacturing facility in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, one of its two such plants in India, to help mitigate the severe health crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and tomeet the sudden spike in demand for hygiene products. Jayant Khosla, Managing Director & Group Head, VLCC, said “We have decided to manufacture and distribute hand sanitizers as our humble contribution to the collective national effort in tackling the COVID-19 crisis and have accordingly diverted a part of our manufacturing capacity to produce these.” The LaLiT: The Lalit is supporting Delhi Government’s initiative to feed the needy by donating 1000 kg of wheat flour and 300 kgs of refined wheat flour, over 700 kgs of vegetables from their gardens in the last couple of days to the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). Similarly, other 11 hotels of the group are providing more than 1000 kg of atta, 500 kg of maida, 200 litres of oil, food supplies, fruits and vegetables to the relevant local authorities who are leading the food distribution. The doctors working in Delhi Government’s Lok Nayak Hospital and GB Pant Hospital are housed at The Lalit New Delhi. “These are extraordinary times. COVID-19 is one of the toughest crisis ever faced by humanity. Everyone must do their bit to fight this pandemic. The need of the hour is to stand together and take care of those most affected. Together we can and we will overcome this.” said Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson &Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, in an official statement. Foreign brands Armani: Luxury designer Giorgio Armani donated $2.20 million to help Italy amidst the global pandemic. The amount is being given to four Italian hospitals, Luigi Sacco, San Raffaele, the Istituto dei Tumori in Milan and Rome’s Istituto Lazzaro Spallanzani and the country’s civil defense, Protezione Civile. The brand’s production plants in Italy is producing single-use medical overalls for healthcare workers. P opular author JK Rowling of the mega hit Harry Potter series wrote, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Its commendable how luxury brands from around the globe, big and small, are doing their bit to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. They are donating money to the local hospitals and civic bodies, making masks, gowns and hand sanitizers and helping daily-wage labourers and artisans sustain in these hard times. Whether its magnanimous gestures such as these or the simple act of staying at home, we all have a role to play. And if all of us do this together, we can win this war. Indian brands Indian Hotels Company Limited: The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), the hospitality business of Tata Sons, has offered accommodation to doctors and other members from themedical fraternity, fighting COVID-19, in select hotels. “During these trying times, we at IHCL are keenly aware of our responsibility towards our community. As a reflection of our commitment, we are offering rooms for the medical fraternity to stay while they combat the spread of the virus,” said a spokesperson in an official statement. Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd: Renowned restaurateur Zorawar Kalra’s Massive Restaurants that owns eateries such as Masala Library, Pa Pa Ya, Farzi Café and Made in Punjab has been preparing meals for migrant labourers and other homeless and in need of food in Gurugram and Mumbai. Close to 5,000 meals are prepared at the restaurants’ kitchens every day. House of Anita Dongre: Popular designer Anita Dongre of House of Anita Dongre announced a medical fund of Rs1.5 crore to support their smaller vendors, self-employed artisans and partners who do not have medical insurance or coverage to prepare for medical emergencies arising from COVID-19. A helpline has also been set up to assist employees and partners to answer any queries. On Instagram, Anita wrote, “We are in this together and we will come out on the other side stronger. We shall overcome.” The fashion house has also pledged to make masks from waste materials and will distribute these in hospitals and a few villages. Sabyasachi Mukherjee: Fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has pledged to donate Rs1 crore of personal funds to the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and Rs 50lakh to the Chief Minister of West Bengal’s Relief Fund. In a statement released on social media he said that he expects that the donation will be used to ramp upmedical facilities in the country. “Everything we do today combats the massive challenge that we are facing as a nation and as a world. Our investments in today’s efforts will come back to us all exponentially in the future,” he said in a statement. House of Angadi: In Bengaluru, textile brand Angadi announced 100 per cent wage support for the weavers of the brand. He also offered to make masks on large scale for the Karnataka government. “In these difficult times, the first duty of entrepreneurs is to ensure business continuity. And to this end, we have activated Sabyasachi Mukherjee Zorawar Kalra In this together