It gave me such a great feeling to be able to contribute to the PPE shortage for the NHS. Since the beginning of Lockdown much of the media coverage was about the lack of PPE for the NHS. There were many call outs on social media from designers for help to support by sewing scrubs.
However, it was so hard to try to help! I sent several emails including the government cabinet office and hospitals themselves but I couldn't get through to where I needed to be. Finally the amazing designers, Phoebe English, Bethany Williams and Holly Fulton set up the Emergency Designer Network alongside trailblazer, Cozette McCreery.
They championed an initiative to rally together cloth, cutters, makers and logistics to enable small and large fashion companies in London to be able to do their bit. So, I joined their gang and boy were they organised and efficient! Over email they transferred all of the technical instructions which I was then able to send to my machinist. The cut-work was then couriered to him - working from his home in Harrow - by Matches Fashion.
He managed to sew 20 sets in a week and is now working on his 3rd set of 20! The Matches vans drove around London to other helpers homes and small studios to collect the sewn scrubs and deliver their work! Amazing.