Giorgio Armani has donated €1.25m (£1.1m) to hospitals in Italy in a bid to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
The fashion designer‘s donation comes following the recent postponement of his Cruise 2021 show, which was scheduled to take place in Dubai on 19 April.
As of 12 March, there have been more than 12,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus across Italy, in addition to more than 820 deaths.
Armani‘s donation of more than a million euros has been distributed to four hospitals, including three hospitals in Milan and the Spallanzani hospital in Rome.
It also included money donated to the Civil Protection Agency, a national body in Italy that deals with emergency situations.
Armani donated the money through his fashion group, a spokesperson for the company stated.
In 2018, the group had revenues of €2.1bn, Reuters reported.
The majority of employees at the company are currently working from home, the spokesperson outlined.
Furthermore, its production sites are operating with as few personnel as possible, they said.
Last week, the Giorgio Armani fashion house announced that its Cruise 2021 show has been rescheduled for November.
“Due to the recent developments in the outbreak of coronavirus, Giorgio Armani has postponed to November the event scheduled to take place in Dubai on the 19th and 20th April,” a statement read.
“The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure in order to protect all the industry stakeholders, employees and guests who would be involved in the trip.”
In February, Armani held his Milan fashion show in an empty room amid coronavirus fears.
The decision to have the runway show livestreamed, as opposed to welcoming a live audience, was made in order to “safeguard the well-being” of guests who had been invited to the catwalk, a statement outlined.
For all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak, follow The Independent‘s live blog here.
