CEO Consult’s Luca Montaldo has recently seen the “unmasking” of many designers and apparel companies in Los Angeles. They have been unmasked by the Covid-19 pandemic, and this has shown that they are truly concerned and care about the health their communities and customers. This can be seen in their readiness to do their part in the battle to fight Coronavirus by moving away from their usual clothing fabrication to making the nonmedical face masks that are now so much needed by the general public.
This new purpose has led to the discovery of new business leads which have resulted in previously-unimagined partnerships and teams. For example, take Mario De La Torre, the independent designer who entered into a partnership with a group connected to the Walmart Foundation. This new relationship resulted in the Walmart Foundation donating $50,000 to De La Torre’s Masks4Farmworkers campaign. The campaign was the brainchild of De La Torre and his business partner and wife, Evette Smith, whose business essentially went into hibernation in late March because of the pandemic’s effects on the economy. In order to maintain their sewing professionals, they used their savings to begin to finance the project to make face masks for farm workers which would protect the workers from both the elements and exposure to Covid-19.
This project began with De La Torre and Smith teaming up with the nonprofit organizations Justice for Migrant Women, Hispanic Heritage Foundation and National Center for Farmworkers Health. Limited to their own financing, De La Torre and Smith had hoped to employ 10 people and produce around 10,000 masks. Now, with the capital provided by the Walmart Foundation, they have the funds to employ 35 people and produce tens of thousands of masks.
This experience has shown De La Torre a new direction for his company, which had focused on creating and producing private-label lines for retailers as well as runway fashion and office wear for his own fashion label. The new direction is taking care of farm workers. The face masks for farmers will continue, as it is De La Torre’s way of playing his part.
Working to overcome LA’s Covid-19 health and financial risks
Another way the LA apparel industry is embracing masks to help others during the Covid-19 pandemic is through the L.A. Protects program. This program has the city of LA, Kaiser Permanente and the sustainable brand Reformation partnering to provide mask designs to produce nonmedical masks for the general public as well as for those whose jobs require dealing with the public, including s grocery-store staff.
This project, which was announced by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, involves approximately 433 companies and designers. The goal was to produce five million masks. Although this campaign is not supported by any city funds, the companies that participate get leads identifying groups looking for masks. This project is ongoing, and more companies are continuing to join to make a difference.
Not long after the L.A. Protects project started, the LA area had been recognized as a center for designing and producing nonmedical face masks, which tend to range in price from $10 to more than $27. Although the businesses confirm that what they earn from designing and producing the masks in no way matches their pre-Coronavirus earnings, they receive countless new business opportunities as they enter into this new market. Most importantly, they are able to help where help is needed the most.
No apparel brand is too big or small to help
The need for protective face masks has never been larger, and large companies are stepping up to lend a hand. Some examples of the larger companies getting involved are Vans apparel-and-footwear and Hedley & Bennett workwear and kitchen. These two brands partnered to produce more than 250,000 face masks using the canvas that Vans uses for its shoes and a Hedley & Bennett facility just south of LA for the production. These masks will then be donated to a range of organizations in and around Los Angeles. Vans is also involved in another partnership producing medical face shields with designer Michael Schmidt. In this partnership, Vans supplies their 18-inch shoelaces which are used as the fasteners for the face shields.
The smaller apparel businesses have also become involved in face mask producing campaigns. Nicolas Libert is one of the founders of LA’s stylish, secretive Please Do Not Enter retail store which specialises in art-inspired fashion. He points out that face masks have been an everyday accessory in Asia for years. There, face masks not only protect the wearer from pollution and germs, but they also offer a way of making a statement. Please Do Not Enter began creating face mask prototypes before Covid-19. When Covid-19 hit, a face mask featuring the Please Do Not Enter logo was created. As Libert points out, the name of the shop, Please Do Not Enter, takes on a whole new—and relevant—meaning when placed on a face mask with the intention of keeping a virus out. These masks have been so popular that they initially sold out in just two days. They continue to produce—and sell—these masks, with proceeds going to Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization that helps families affected by COVID-19.
With the demand for face masks so high, small fashion businesses and designers keep stepping up to help. An independent LA designer, Maya Reynolds, is another small helper. As soon as she heard about the need for face masks, she began working out how to best design them for her friends. She believed that this could be a business opportunity that would also help others.
Reynolds felt that the need for masks would not be short term, and as more people need them for longer, they are going to want more variety and choice. As she moved into the face mask area, she consulted medical professionals to find out what they wanted. Their needs were form-fitting masks similar to the N95 masks which are used by surgeons. She used this feedback to create a mask that she has labelled “Breathe.” This mask features a dome around the mouth, which makes the mask comfortable by keeping the fabric away from the area. These masks are sold on her Etsy page, and she donates the funds to One Tree Planted, a non-profit reforestation organization.
Labeltex Mills, an LA-based manufacturer of apparel, retail trims and packaging, is another company that has moved into the face mask production area. Tony Shamtobi, Labeltex’s co-owner and president, points out that getting into a new product range takes a lot of experimentation and change. However, once they decided to produce face masks, they forged forward. It took about a month to alter their factory’s capabilities to produce the masks, which they have just begun shipping out from his LA–area factory. A major change they had to make in the factory to produce the masks was to modify the mechanics for their Labeltex looms. Although Shamtobi knew the need for these masks was immediate—and growing every day—he had no choice but to wait for the modifications to be made, never considering giving up the cause.
This venture finally led to orders coming in and Labeltex distributing the masks, enabling them to rehire 15 workers. The modifications of the looms resulted in the ability to tightly weave the mask material, on which workers apply antibacterial liquid. The masks consist of three layers for protection and can have company logos or other designs printed on them. Shamtobi says that the company has taken care to ensure the workers are kept safe by appropriately distancing them so that they are 20 feet apart from each other.
Even the LA swimwear businesses are getting into the act. The owner of the Dippin’ Daisy swimwear brand, Elaine Tran, uses swimwear material to produce face masks. She also carefully follows appropriate distancing and requires her employees to sanitize their work stations with alcohol twice a day. This effort is more than worthwhile, though, as she has been able to retain her sewers. In fact, of her 100 workers, 70 are making face masks.
Many of those now producing face masks believe that this is not a short-term undertaking, and they plan to be involved in face mask production for some time to come. Los Angeles Apparel makes face masks out of thick jersey material. The founder, Dov Charney, agrees that the mask business is not going anywhere for some time—if ever, as he believes they have become an intrinsic part of American culture.
CEO Consult has to agree, as there seems to be no end in sight, with nonsurgical face mask production continuing to build momentum. And this continues to bring out the best in the LA apparel industry, with Brother International Corp. donating around 100 industrial sewing machines to domestic manufacturers including Los Angeles Apparel and Brooks Brothers to support them in their production of personal protective equipment. What goes around comes around, and through their willingness to help others, the LA apparel industry has unmasked themselves not only as an industry that cares for other, but as an industry that does something about it.
