CSULB students have designs on creating protective face masks
Eden Mosqueda landed a job in the fashion industry shortly after graduating last spring with a degree in fashion merchandising & entrepreneurship and quickly turned her know-how into a career.
“I started selling clothing I designed on Instagram,” she said.
Before her designs hit the fashion market, though, the coronavirus pandemic hit, and she turned her attention from high-end sleepwear to high-end face masks, protective coverings that would not only be stylish but help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Face coverings, along with frequent hand washings and social distancing, have shown to be effective in slowing the spread of the virus. Mosqueda, like other Cal State Long Beach fashion design students, used her creative skills to create fashionable masks for friends and family that would help protect them from contracting COVID-19.
For one mask, Mosqueda mixed sustainability with designer fashions and came up with what she called “just your modern-day grocery shopping essentials.”
“I used a Christian Louboutin dust bag and repurposed it into the mask,” Mosqueda said.
Miles Talley was interning at an L.A.-based fashion house specializing in streetwear when COVID-19 forced the company to switch to producing face masks.
“Our sewers are one of our top priorities and for us to give them mask orders helped them keep an income during this troubling time,’
Eventually the company had to shut its doors, and Talley decided to use his skills to help produce masks for the company and sew several for family and essential workers.
“I immediately knew that I wanted to start to start sewing masks on my own, Talley said. “However, with school, work and my internship, had little time to work on projects for myself. I am actually glad I have had time to work on projects for myself that I wouldn’t have had time for otherwise.”
Here’s how other fashion design students are using their flair for color and sewing to help protect others.
Sean Castro
"My partner and I needed something to protect ourselves when we were out running errands. His mom saw the masks, then my parents, then Instagram and suddenly I was tasked with making about a hundred of these (above made with fake fur.)"
Eden Mosqueda
"I had friends and family asking me to make them masks, so I had to pull through for them! Getting a universal fit is tough and I ran out of elastic … be creative with elastic alternatives, using string or hair ties. Remember that the important part is protecting yourself and others, so it doesn’t matter if the masks are perfect – just get started."
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Miles Talley
"I have mainly been making masks for my family, friends and anyone I know personally that is on the front lines of battling the virus. This includes grocery workers, nurses and other individuals that are essential workers. They are definitely the people that deserve our help."
Yesica Martinez Ramirez
"My job provided us with plain black masks. I wanted to create something unique so I decided to use fabric from my previous project. Once my coworkers saw my masks, they asked me I could make them some."
Carley Sullivan
"I started this project because my mom is a nurse and she told me how she and the other nurses in her unit are low on these masks and that she and many others have to reuse the same mask weekly or even daily."
