It's been a whirlwind of a week for all of us. For the past few days, the news has been dominated by gloomy and macabre headlines. But amidst all the chaos, it's good to know that camaraderie is still alive. Many big fashion and beauty brands have supported the fight against the COVID-19 by donating to various hospitals and healthcare organisations. Even known influencers like Chiara Ferragni are raising funds to help with the situation.
There are also exciting launches to look forward to. Colony Clothing opens a Santa Maria Novella pop-up store for the very first time at Kids21 in Dempsey Hill. Pomelo celebrates its 7th anniversary by hosting its first-ever, community-powered digital shopping event. FILA launches FUSION by Kōki Collection, a collab with new generation idol Mitsuki Kimura. Keep reading to know the details.
Fashion and beauty brands support fight against COVID-19
Big fashion and beauty brands donate huge sums to help fight the spread of COVID-19. Moncler donated 10-million euros to support the construction of hospitals in the region of Lombardy, Italy. Prada, a Milan-based fashion house, funded Intensive Care Units to three local hospitals — San Raffaele, Sacco, and Vittore Buzzi hospitals. Earlier this week, LVMH has announced that they would be making free hand sanitisers to alleviate the shortage of these products.
Coty, the beauty conglomerate behind CoverGirl, has also announced that they will be adjusting production to manufacture "free of charge hydro-alcoholic gel to medical and emergency services". The Body Shop is one of the brands who will be donating cleansing products to those in need too.
Chiara Ferragni raises over 3 million euros to fund hospitals
It's not just fashion and beauty brands who are doing their part. Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni, with the help of her husband Fedez, has managed to raise over 3 million euros to fund new hospital beds. Being in the epicentre of the pandemic, Ferragni has been warning the world to take necessary precautions. "This is to fully explain the situation to all my foreigner followers (70 per cent of my 18.7 millions) who clearly don’t understand the situation here in Italy at the moment: IT IS BAD. We have more than 10,000 cases, more than 600 deaths and more than 5,000 people at the hospitals with bad conditions," she writes in an Instagram post dated 11 March. As of now, Italy has exceeded the number of total deaths in China with the local death toll at 3,405.
Despite this, Italian personalities including Ferragni have been hosting Instagram Live performances to cheer people up. Many locals are also participating in a now daily ritual of singing the national anthem together from their balconies to demonstrate solidarity.
Colony Clothing opens a Santa Maria Novella pop-up store
Colony Clothing, headed by Japanese duo Kozo Kawamura and Kensuke Sato, opens the very first Santa Maria Novella Singapore pop-up store in Singapore at Kids21 in Dempsey Hill. With a history dating back to 1221, Santa Maria Novella is known for scents, body washes, creams and more. You can now browse their selections at the pop-up store!
Pomelo Fashion celebrates 7th year
Pomelo Fashion turns 7! To celebrate, the brand will be hosting its first-ever digital shopping event happening over two days from 26 to 27 March. But this isn't just another online sale. This time, you get to decide what goes on sale based on a community voting scheme. On 20 March, fans can vote for their favourite Pomelo pieces on social media. The products that will emerge on the top 15 will be discounted up to 77 per cent. Neat! But that's not all, other pieces will also get markdowns so keep your eyes peeled for those. Bookmark this link that leads to the sale page. It will be live on 20 March at 2PM.
FILA FUSION by Kōki
Japanese idol Mitsuki Kimura, also known as Kōki, collaborates with FILA to launch FILA FUSION: 'SAKURAのSports Florist' capsule collection. Whether you're sporty or not, you wouldn't want to miss this cute collection featuring bum bags, cropped jackets, tees and other sportswear printed with cherry blossoms and incorporates lace. The collection is now available at ZALORA, Lazada, Shopee and FILA outlets.
NESCAFÉ Blend & Brew launches Ben & Bella
Stuck at home? NESCAFÉ Blend & Brew has something for you. In partnership with Prime Media, they're launching a romantic comedy mini-series called Ben & Bella. It's a boy-meets-girl story that will follow the journey of two young and ambitious interior designers as they juggle their careers and personal lives. The series comprises of five 10-minute episodes and will star Alvin Chong and Hannah Delisha. Intrigued? Tune in on TV3 and TV3 Youtube channel every Monday from 23 March through 20 April 2020 at 9:50 PM.
Missed the headlines earlier this week? Catch up here.
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