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[UPDATED] Indonesian fashion designers help sew, donate protective gear for medical workers
Fashion designers Anne Avantie and Didiet Maulana have joined other public figures to kick off initiatives to help medical personnel combat the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Illustration of fashion designer at work (Shutterstock/stefanphotozemun)
R
enowned kebaya designer Anne Avantie has through her foundation been producing protective gear (APD) amid a lack of such equipment for many medical personnel, forcing some to wear disposable plastic raincoats.
Anne shared on her Instagram account that the foundation got help from donors to initiate the endeavor and that the protective gear would not be for sale. "They will be donated to hospitals," she said.
Due to the limited number of sewing machines, Anne said the foundation could only produce a limited number of APD, "since we're not a factory and all are manufactured manually. Despite such limitations we strive to produce as many APD as we can by halting our other products."
Read also: French fashion labels Saint Laurent, Balenciaga to make coronavirus face masks
Anne said she is hopeful that other tailors or garment businesses would join the movement to help those in need and she encouraged them to send a request email to anneavantie@yahoo.com.
"Those wanting to donate can do so through Yayasan Wisma Kasih Bunda Foundation's BCA account number at 009-7006-711, with the contact number for Asmanah being +6281389373939."
Fashion designer Didiet Maulana and his friends said they also invite the public to donate APD to aid medical workers through his BCA account number 2611905761 on behalf of Maharditya Maulana.
The public can also donate protective gear and food directly to Pelni Hospital in West Jakarta, where the contact number is +62215306901 and Laili Fathiyah is the contact person, and Tangerang General Hospital in Tangerang, Banten, where the contact number is +62215523507 and contact person is Rifki.
Founders of local fashion brand Cottonink, Ria Sarwono and Carline, have also been raising funds to sew 10,000 protective coveralls (APDs) for medical workers.
"We will try as hard as we can to purchase the suitable material (after a discussion with hospital doctors) and collaborate with our tailors (whose orders for fashion items have decreased). By sewing these APDs, not only can these small and medium businesses' tailors continue their otherwise declining work, but we can also help provide medical workers with essential equipment," shared Ria's Instagram post on March 30, adding that they took no profit whatsoever from the initiative.
Each APD is said to cost around Rp 50,000 (US$3) to make.
"All APDs that we make will be donated to the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) and later be distributed to hospitals that need them. We will also donate 200 APDs from our own wallet," added the post.
Ria also invited the public to support the move by donating money through online crowdfunding platform.
West Kalimantan-born fashion designer Hian Tjen has also collaborated with other fashion designers and textile suppliers to produce protective gear to be donated to medical personnel in Indonesia via non-profit organization Project Indonesia.
Hian told Antara news agency that production began on March 26.
"As our staff was off on March 25, I contacted a number of tailors in Jakarta who were willing to help. We've tried to produce as many as we can," he said.
Hian announced on Instagram on April 1 that the team had made over 1,000 medical gowns and were manufacturing hazmat suits.
"It's the only thing we can do," Hian said. "We produce [the protective gear], while Project Indonesia distributes and verifies [hospitals or medical personnel who are in need of the gear]."
Indonesian designers Samuel and Stephen Wongso from Wong Hang Tailor have also produced protective gear for medical workers due to a shortage in Indonesian hospitals.
Manufactured by their staff using local fabric, the protective gear can be reused three times.
"After being worn, spray it with disinfectant, soak it in warm water that has been mixed with an antibacterial [product], dry it under the sun and spray it again with disinfectant prior to reusing it," Samuel told kompas.com.
Samuel said his staff was working fast to distribute the protective gear to hospitals, which include those located in Manado, North Sulawesi. "We'll also deliver them to Purwakarta [in West Java]."
"We also accept requests [for protective gear] and our team will verify them beforehand - we don't want the protective gear to be merely resold," he added. (wir/kes)
