With an estimated 1.3 million Los Angelenos out of work due to the COVID-19 crisis, and more and more factories going dark, the city’s own Hudson Jeans was determined to find a way to give back to not only to its workers but to its community. Enter its Lights On Los Angeles (LOLA) project which enlists workers who would otherwise be manufacturing, packaging and shipping denim to create non-medical masks using the brand’s deadstock fabric. Now available for preorder at $30-35 for a 3-pack of fabric masks, the non-medical masks ensure a fair wage for Hudson’s factory workers. A special limited-edition leather version retails for $48. Surplus revenue for all masks will be donated to PATH’s COVID-19 fund.
PATH is a Southern California based nonprofit that provides lifesaving services to the homeless and others in need. And with more than half of the population of Los Angeles now unemployed, the need for contributions is more critical than ever. In a press release the brand explained that it doesn’t have a miracle solution to the crisis but it does have materials. “I’m very grateful to be able to support our team in this way at this critical time,” says CEO Maria Borromeo. “These individuals are the heart of Hudson. We are very fortunate to be able to call upon them to use their skill set to continue to help flatten the curve.”
