Back in March, no one could have anticipated just how the next nine months – and counting – were going to look. For one, 2015 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist Chris Gelinas had just finished working with Marc Jacobs, and relevancy was on his mind. Thinking of ways to apply his skillset to something impactful, Gelinas decided to partner with lawyer and Co-Founder of Kleenwraps, Russell Silver-Fagan and his mother Elizabeth Silver to take the face mask and latex glove from PPE to accessories.

“It was hard to really find value in runway and fantasy during this time,” said Gelinas. “This was much more essential, and something that could touch a lot more people. This experience has really made me realize the need for design in so many different areas and aspects of our lives. And I think that ingenuity and innovation will continue to be at core of American fashion as the industry moves forward.”

KleenWraps is the world’s first patented, reusable, anti-microbial grip barrier designed to reduce hand exposure, one of the primary methods of viral transmission. Elizabeth Silver has been passionate about health and fitness for 40 years, and since 2014, she and her son Russell have been working to create the family business that they believe will revolutionize the exercise experience and protect the population throughout the pandemic. The sanitary hand grips can be used on subway poles, grocery store cart handles, or shared bikes and fitness equipment to drastically reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus.

From the very beginning, Gelinas and Russell Silver-Fagan have worked with vendors and manufacturers that were very conscious of everything from chemicals being used to water consumption. Additionally, KleenWraps uses low to no plastic in their packaging, shipping everything in recyclable, non-woven bags. Even the hang tags use low to no plastic, everything from the string, to the paper, to the little bit of

plastic that is present, is all recycled and recyclable.

“Prior to COVID, there was a public consciousness to the environment and sustainability,” Silver-Fagan said. “For example, here in New York City, the plastic bag ban went into effect in the beginning of March. But this literally took a backseat because at the same time businesses were floundering and this was just not something that could be dealt with. We’ve always thought that there’s a way to protect ourselves and the environment and also reduce waste.”

“KleenWraps empowers individuals to take control of their setting and feel like they’re doing at least their part for themselves and others,” Gelinas added. “And as the fashion industry and the world changes your relevance doesn’t necessarily have to change. You just pivot and adapt to what’s needed and what’s necessary, and I think that this has been a really eye-opening project for me to realize that it doesn’t end at a fashion show, it goes far beyond that.”

For more on KleenWraps, click here!