Today, in celebrity activism that might—just possibly—do more public good than singing an old John Lennon song into your iPhone, fashion designer and former Project Runway winner/current Project Runway mentor Christian Siriano has announced that he’ll soon be helping the New York state government in the manufacturing of masks for hospitals. While Siriano normally devotes his fabric skills to crafting elaborate outfits, he pointed out on social media today that he’s got material, talented sewing staff looking to work, and a desire to help—and Governor Andrew Cuomo swiftly took him up on the offer.
Having been left with not a whole lot else to do—what with the everything, and all—the entertainment industry has been hustling to try to find some way to make itself useful during the current medical crisis. And while, yes, some of that has been “inspirational” work, there have also been numerous stories of medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy digging through their stock rooms in order to provide hospitals with much-needed medical supplies—once glamorous television stars, prepped to adorn the faces of the large and famous, and now to be pressed into service as, well, actual life-saving tools.
Meanwhile, Siriano made it clear in his Instagram Stories response to the news that, no, these newly constructed masks will not be haute couture. Per Entertainment Weekly, he noted that, “Guys, these will be very simple. It is not for fashion, it’s to help people.”