Fashions Front Line Hero’s

In a world where most of us are at a standstill, Boston’s finest fashion designers are on the front line and putting in overtime making masks.

As we devise “the plan” to return to the new normal, the only solid answer we all seem to have is, you must wear a mask. They are no longer just for the essential works, nurses, doctors, and care takers yet for all to add an as accessory to the outfit.

Since the beginning of this worldly pandemic Boston’s fashion community has taken a stand and not a dime only donations to properly cloth our community. Who knew the talent of sewing would become the most essential position? Designers immediately transitioned from working on the release of their Spring 2020 collection to producing protective gear. The mode of sleepless nights thinking about that perfect cut or sought out seem turned into a blur of factory production on how fast and how many masks can be made today.

Local Designers taking on the trend are David Josef, Denise Hajjar, Kinda Tuma, Kelly Dempsey, Angelica Timas, Ashley Rose, Thread Tech Corporation, Joe Malaika, EJ Battle with Battle Designs, Sondra Celli and more. Josef is keeping our cities celebrities safe and stylish with his contributions, Dempsey is bringing that funk fabulous vibe so not to lose ourselves behind the unwanted accessory.

Scene&Style was able to catch up with the timeless and elegant diva, Denise Hajjar. When I asked how she has been spending her days, Hajjar replied, “I get into my store about 4:30am every morning and crawl into bed about 8:30pm each night. By about 9:30am I have around 40 masks made, I average about 100 per day and have maxed out at 135 in a day. I inquired about where all these fantastic patterned pieces were headed? Hajjar explained, “Everywhere! Anywhere from 100 to a health clinic in Montana, 150 for an elderly home on West Roxbury, 5 went straight to Italy, 1,000 to a local golf course for employees and members, right on to 70 masks for my dearest friends and longtime model Jane Conway Caspe’s mothers nursing home. I get orders all day long and would be lost without my essential employee Charlotte and my man Mario here with me everyday to filter orders and prep the masks.” I must admit I was envious of not only the time spent being productive yet touched by her care for each mask made.

All our designers are heroes right here in the hub, selfless super stars. Donating their time taking to the front line to fight a battle we have all asked to stay inside for. They are our angels keeping us safe using their sewing machine as their sword. This is a very confusing and uncertain world we are all living in and now more than ever is the time to appreciate the little things. A mask that saves lives and makes a fashion statement, I am all in.

THANK YOU!