Mulberry reopens Somerset factories to make PPE

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Apr 27, 2020

Mulberry has started producing reusable PPE gowns in its Somerset factories, with a goal to deliver over 8,000 gowns over the coming weeks.

The personal protective equipment (PPE) kits will be donated to the Bristol NHS Trust.

The announcement signals the reopening of Mulberry’s factories, which had closed in March in line with the Government’s social distancing advice.

The luxury brand said each gown will be crafted to government-issued guidelines with a specially-sourced material that is fluid-resistant and washable, to allow NHS frontline workers to reuse them multiple times.

It comes as the UK Government faces growing criticism over the PPE crisis. A vital shipment of PPE kits including 400,000 gowns was due to arrive in the UK on Sunday, but only 32,000 are believed to have been secured so far.

Amid a national shortage of surgical gowns, several fashion brands have stepped in to support the wider procurement efforts, including Burberry and Barbour.

In addition to producing gowns at its factories, Mulberry has teamed up with Bristol ‘Scrub Hub’, a network of voluntary community groups, and will donate large volumes of fabric to make scrubs.

“I’m so pleased Mulberry is able to play a role in supporting the NHS and the vital work they do in the fight against COVID-19. I’m proud the Mulberry team was able to work so quickly to transform our leather goods factories to start producing PPE equipment and play our part in protecting local communities,” said Thierry Andretta, CEO of Mulberry.

The company has also raised over £75,000 via its Coronavirus Appeal to support the National Emergencies Trust since its launch in March.