New Balance has organized a portion of their team to design and manufacture face masks in their Lawrence, Massachusetts factories to distribute for free during this global COVID-19 pandemic. The facility will be either partially or completely repurposed for the sole purpose of creating these face masks.
The masks will be distributed to US healthcare workers and patients on the frontline of this pandemic. The masks themselves appear to be made from familiar materials present in New Balance shoes which, through design innovations, have been reinvented into the high demand health supplies.
You can read New Balance’s full statement here.
Several other brands in the fashion industry such as Nike and LVMH have announced similar initiatives or made donations to provide aid during this international crisis.