Chargeurs has launched its US consumer-facing division, Lainiere Health & Wellness, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website offering the division’s collection of protective face masks. Chargeurs provides end-to-end solutions for menswear and womenswear brands by designing interlining, a technical fabric used to help garments retain their structure.
The company has also partnered with Marc Jacobs and will donate anti-microbial material made by Lainiere Health & Wellness to the designer for his face mask collection, with 100 per cent of the proceeds of sales benefiting UNICEF USA.
The limited-edition Marc Jacobs face masks were designed using filters made with Lainiere Health & Wellness’s performance fabric, which reduces bacteria by 99 per cent. The masks are made by hand in New York with upcycled materials from past Marc Jacobs collections. All proceeds from the sales of the Marc Jacobs masks will be donated to UNICEF USA to help the organisation as it responds to COVID-19 and assists the most at-risk communities. Consumers can purchase the masks exclusively at Marc Jacobs’ website, according to Chargeurs.
The launch of the new Lainiere Health & Wellness division represents Chargeurs’ first move into the consumer health and wellness space in the US. The company has long been a global B2B leader in the supply of interlinings. Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, Chargeurs has shifted a significant portion of its global textile production toward health and wellness–related protective equipment. To support US manufacturing, Chargeurs will start producing face masks at its Troy, Ohio, factory by September 2020.
The Lainiere Health & Wellness face mask collection includes a fashion performance line created by Chan, who has a background in fashion design. The collection includes 16 unique styles featuring luxurious fabrics such as lace and silk as well as hand-stitched embellishments, embroidery and sequins. The entire line of washable, reusable masks offers anti-bacterial and anti-odour properties. Prices for the women’s premium fashion performance collection, which is made in Italy, start at $29. Lainiere Health & Wellness also offers three-packs of washable cotton masks in a variety of solids and patterns for $27.99 for adults and $24.99 for kids. Consumers can purchase the full range of Lainiere Health & Wellness masks directly from the company’s new e-commerce site, LainiereHealth.com. The masks are also available for purchase on Amazon.
“As masks were becoming the new must-wear protective accessory, we at Chargeurs knew immediately that we needed to leverage our expertise and pivot our US business so we could supply consumers and our brand partners with functional, fashionable mask options. The interlinings we make are typically hidden inside garments, but they are a crucial part of fashion and are used to create a protective interior layer in high-quality face masks for the consumer market. We’re proud to now be partnering with Marc Jacobs to supply the brand with our anti-microbial products to be used in masks that will be sold to benefit UNICEF USA,” Angela Chan, global president and managing director at Chargeurs said.
