FASHION COUNCILS TEAM ON DESIGNER FACE MASK CAPSULE

The British Fashion Council (BFC) and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have teamed up to launch the ‘Great Global Designer Face Coverings,’ a unique collaboration between the two Fashion Councils and Bag of Ethics (BOE), which will manufacture and retail internationally the sustainable and reusable non-medical face coverings to use alongside existing social distancing measures.

Designed by three British designers, Ahluwalia, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and Marques’Almeida, and three American designers, Mara Hoffman, lemlem by Liya Kebede, and Kim Shui, the project aims to raise money for the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund and CFDA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity programming.

The announcement follows on from the success of the BFC’s initial campaign which launched in June 2020 and resulted in a £500,000 donation to the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund with the face coverings ranking second in an independent Which? Best Buy lab test.

The non-medical face coverings are manufactured at Bags of Ethics 100 percent owned partner factories and provide a reusable and sustainable option for the environment with no single-use plastic and will not deplete healthcare system. The product will be retailed at £15 and $18 for three reusable, washable, fabric face coverings with two protective pouches. £1 from the sale of each face covering will be donated to the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund and £1 to CFDA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity programming. These non-medical face coverings will be available to buy online from partner retailers including bagofethics.org, Amazon, John Lewis & Partners, and Waitrose & Partners. In the U.S. they will be retailed through Social Goods from December.

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“This is a powerful time for collaboration across all sectors and the fashion industry has demonstrated strength in unity over the last number of months,” said Caroline Rush, chief executive at BFC. “We are excited to work alongside our American counterparts to promote local designers while encouraging sustainable practices in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus. We are also delighted to continue working with Bag of Ethics, a longstanding supporter of the BFC, after the success of our first round of Great British Face Coverings in raising money to support British designers in surviving this challenging time.”

“The CFDA is pleased to collaborate with the British Fashion Council, our counterpart in the UK,” added Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. “As the pandemic continues to impact lives worldwide, it is important that we all wear masks to protect ourselves and those around us. We asked three of our designers – Mara Hoffman, Liya Kebede, and Kim Shui – to add their creative touch to this essential item. The masks will support our important DEI work and programming, which is key to the CFDA’s core mission.”

The project is part of BFC and CFDA’s wider initiatives to support creative fashion businesses and individuals to survive the pandemic. It aims to instill public confidence and unite the public through creativity, prevent further depletion of medical mask supplies, champion British and American designers, and maximize fundraising opportunities in a time of crisis.