Italy is one of the world's worst hit countries by COVID-19. 

When the cases were piling up fast in February, the healthcare system was overwhelmed. People were rushing to hospitals and medical workers caught off-guard, unprepared for the massive wave of patients they urgently needed to treat. 

What was worse – they did not have enough personal protective equipment.

The need for face masks was vital to protect themselves from being infected. Italy's top fashion brands stepped in. But first, they made significant donations. 

Carlo Capasa, the president of the Italian Chamber of Fashion, says donations made by fashion companies surpassed $120 million. Italian luxury brand Prada's CEOs Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada donated intensive care units to Italian hospitals, as did chairman Carlo Mazzi.

Then came the transformation – several Italian luxury brands including Prada and Gucci decided to shift their manufacturing to produce protective gear. 

Prada has already delivered 80,000 gowns and over one-hundred-thousand masks. Its factory in Montone is currently producing 4,000 masks per day. 

The plant manager of the Montone Prada factory Claudio Bormida explains that "the masks are produced in a triple layer of polypropylene or non-woven fabric and have a good filter from the outside to the inside and vice versa" to ensure safety. 

The masks also made with wire to fit better around the face and Prada is following national health guidelines during the production of masks to make them suitable for most medical situations. 

Bormida stresses that Prada is proud to be part of this collective effort. He says it "shows that Italian fashion is not just clothing but, in times of need, it is ready to lend a hand for what is possible."

Carlo Capasa, the president of the Italian Chamber of Fashion says that the fashion industry has suffered heavy losses caused by the impact of the virus. 

Capasa explains that this is usually the season brands are supposed to be producing their winter collection – which should be delivered around May or June. 

He's afraid if the factories don't start production soon – it may be too late to produce a winter collection in time. 

Capasa says, the industry "might be losing 15-30 percent of our turnover this year already." 

But he stresses that their priority is to support the healthcare community.

"We are putting our heart, and we don't care about the cost, we are just producing all that is necessary, trying to help, to produce what is necessary, because we need a lot of garments, and it's not easy to produce them." 

As Italy's lockdown continues, shops remain closed… and fashion shows have been postponed. But Prada says their production of medical gear will continue as long as it's needed.