March 25 (UPI) — Christian Siriano says his team has made nearly 1,000 masks for healthcare workers in the past three days.
The 34-year-old fashion designer gave an update during Wednesday’s episode of Good Morning America after redirecting his team to produce masks for hospitals amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Siriano said he and his team were happy to help amid a shortage of masks for healthcare workers and first responders.
“We were like, ‘How can we help in some way?’ We make clothes every day, so well, we can make masks every day.It was really a simple thing,” the Manhattan-based designer said.
“I just felt like it was a really important time because I felt like it was so needed, not just in New York but everywhere,” he added.
Siriano and his team were approved by New York governor Andrew Cuomo to work and have been creating masks while under specific rules and regulations.
“We have a lot of precautions,” Siriano said.”It’s a lot of work.There’s a lot of rules.

You have to really regulate.I think that’s why it’s in such need.”
“You can’t just up and start making masks,” he added.”You really need to make sure they’re protected.Even the fabric alone needs to be tested, protected …

If this is not going to meet any FDA or CDC regulations, then you can’t send it to a hospital.Your friends can wear them, but I wouldn’t want anyone in the medical field wearing it.”
Siriano shared a photo Tuesday on Instagram of his team at work.
“Powerful women right here! This is what Fashion is right now for us.Making hundreds of masks a day and that’s what we can do to help.Thank you to my team for this and thank you to our friends who donated to help! #christiansiriano,” he wrote.
The Costume Designers Guild and apparel manufacturer Los Angeles Apparel and others in the fashion industry are also making masks and other protective gear for hospitals.
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