Fashion designer Jenny Polanco passed away from complications caused by Covid-19. She was 62 years old. She is credited with taking Dominican fashion design to new levels with her designs. She embodied the country’s fashion country brand and was a trailblazer and innovator for the design and arts and crafts worlds.
Her free-flowing white tunics and dresses and blouses with amber bottoms have made their mark for decades. She is known to have mentored many Dominican emerging designers and arts and crafts artisans. One of her most recent endeavors was to set up a high design store for young talented designers at Agora Mall. She operated an arts and crafts store at Altos de Chavón in La Romana. Her fashion was for sale in stores in La Romana, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, París and New York.
Polanco fell ill after returning from a trip to Spain where she caught the virus. She returned on 4 March. She tested positive, was recovering at home, and then suffered from complications that obliged her to be hospitalized at the Ramon de Lara Hospital in the San Isidro Air Base. She was recovering, when suddenly her kidneys failed her on the early morning of Tuesday. When announcing that she had tested positive, Polanco had said her case was complicated because she had also tested positive for amoeba. The Public Health Minister was the first to confirm her death.
According to Bulletin No. 5 on the Covid-19 epidemic, as of Tuesday, 24 March there had been six deaths: four in Duarte province, one in San Juan de la Maguana and another in San Pedro de Macoris. The three reported most recent deaths are Polanco and an 80-year old and 84-year old French citizens.
Polanco graduated from Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU) with a degree in interior design. She went on, nevertheless, to have one of the most successful careers in fashion design in the country. She exported her designs to the United States and Puerto Rico where they were sold to many appreciating customers. The excellent tailoring of the dresses make many of these works of art.
Polanco was always very collectively oriented and over the years, has spearheaded or participated in many community-oriented projects. Polanco’s collective responsibility was evidenced when she came forward to announce she had tested positive and urged others to take maximum precautions. Even when ill, she went public with her disease to alert other Dominicans to the seriousness of the virus. “Don’t hug, don’t kiss, take care of yourself and others,” she warned in the interview with Alicia Ortega after announcing she had caught the virus she also stressed the values of being honest and authentic when referring to her children.
Radio talk show host Altagracia Salazar said that Jenny Polanco has “put a face on Covid-19,” with her death now raising the awareness among all Dominicans to take the virus very seriously. Shortly after returning from Spain, Polanco had hosted her friends at her home to share her experiences. At the time, she had no idea of the danger she had exposed herself to or her friends. Reports are that some who attended did test positive and are in self-isolation.
National District deputy and candidate for senator for the National District Faride Raful criticized that the relatives of Jenny Polanco first heard about her death in a press conference by the Minister of Public Health. “In violation of all medical ethics, privacy and the principle of confidentiality, the Ministry of Health made Jenny Polanco’s sad demise known through a press conference, before her family knew. What is happening to us,” Raful wrote on her social media.
As part of restrictions due to Covid-19, the funeral services are limited to the family. She is survived by her daughter Carla Quiñones and son Luis Carlos Quiñones.
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25 March 2020