Maria Grazia Chiuri feels proud of how the fashion industry has responded to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 56-year-old designer - who is the creative director at Dior - is heartened to see how different brands have come together amid the health crisis.

She shared: ''My family is in Rome. We have several factories in Italy, including one in Tuscany. Normally we would spend some time in Italy before showing a collection because we want to see the final prototypes and shapes. This season though, we had no time to reflect on what was happening.

''When things worsened, my first priority was to say to my team: 'Please, we have to protect ourselves now, and find a different way to work.' We immediately got computers so we could work remotely. I love to share ideas with my team - we speak all the time.

''Social distancing, especially from my background, feels strange.''

Maria thinks it's ''beautiful'' to see the efforts of some of the world's best-known brands during the pandemic.

She wrote in Vogue: ''We've been working in isolation for several weeks now.

''We share things via FaceTime and WhatsApp. Honestly, though, it's not so easy. To have an idea and make a sketch is one thing, but our work is practical. It's always a very involved, hands-on process.

''Recently, one of our Baby Dior workshops in Redon, Brittany, reopened in order to make masks. I'm very proud of the whole fashion system. So many industries are using their knowledge, capacity and resources to invent and make things that the medical community currently needs.

''I'm really happy that the fashion world has reacted to this situation by immediately starting to produce masks. Not only the big brands such as Dior, Armani and Prada but also smaller companies. It's beautiful what's happening there.''