When designer Shalini James received a mail from the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) on April 7, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, that designers would receive assistance to manufacture masks for the police force, she set into action. A meeting on April 12 with G. Poonguzhali, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order and Traffic) helped her chart a plan.
For close to 10 days James, who has her design label Mantra, manufactured masks for the city police paying extra attention to design. Instead of the regular mask she has designed one, which is more ergonomic. She has so far supplied around 1500 khaki masks, “I was told this will do for now as they have sufficient numbers. If they need more, they’ll get in touch,” she says.
“The police force does want to use surgical masks as it might add to the shortage,” says Shalini. To start with she sent samples, which were approved by the Police Commissionerate Kochi. Pre-production work included extensive online research and speaking to fellow designers such as Kottayam-based Joe Ikareth, who had also been making masks.
Before the week was up, on April 17, she delivered the first batch of 300-odd masks. She worked with a skeletal staff of six embroiderers, two women from the finishing team and two accountants. While she cut the fabric, helped by two accountants, the rest handled the tailoring. Those working on the masks live close to the factory, making commute easy. The masks, batches of 300-400, were delivered on alternate days to the police.
Of taking up the project she says, “These guys (tailors) were without work, and perhaps, the uncertainty must have been bothering them. This way they are occupied, feel at ease about their situation without getting worried.”
Handmade masks
Ikareth has, in the meanwhile, been sewing masks himself. He started the project with his daughter Tilotama, who has posted a DIY video of how to make one on YouTube. “When we realised these are going to be part of our new reality we started making,” he says. She used the fabric waste from his studio for the masks. Ikareth, besides his eponymous label, is the co-creator of ‘Move Ability Clothing’, which provides clothing and accessory solutions to differently-abled people. He is not new to the concept of recycling, he has been making cloth bags out of leftover fabric.
- A mask offers protection against droplets which transmit COVID-19, it is both protective and preventive. However until such time that the country is free of the COVID-19, it is safe to practice social distancing despite wearing masks.
- An advantage of a cloth mask is that it can be reused after washing unlike surgical masks, which should be discarded after use.
- Health practitioners require surgical masks, making/using cloth masks will not cause a shortage.
- These can be made at home.
He has distributed the masks to people who go to his house with essentials – the grocer, the fish monger, the gas delivery guy – and his neighbours besides donating them to local those who need them. “It is more a service. I don’t make large numbers they are neither for sale nor wholesale. Their production goes with how the rest of my work is – slow fashion and process-oriented,” he says. So far he has made 100-odd, since he is stitching each himself. His studio is in the garden of his house, “so all I need to do is hop across, but my tailors cannot come. So I am making each myself,” he says.
Designer Joe Ikareth’s daughter, Tilotama at work in her father’s studio in Kottayam
Both designers are also working on improving design – Shalini by experimenting with, and incorporating, a different pattern, and Ikareth with fabric.
Shalini says, “I wanted to make something different from the regular pleated one, which would provide more protection.” She therefore adapted the princess cut, used for women’s garments to design the masks. This one would sit more comfortable according to the contours of the face. Since two-ply (two layers) masks are understood to be safer, she has added an extra layer made of fusing material usually used for collars; the non-woven fabric providing additional protection.
Ikareth meanwhile is experimenting with nanofabrics to make masks. He uses the fabric for the ‘Move Ability’ garments. Among the many advantages of nanofabric is that it is water repellent and the composition of the fabric is such that it can even reduce odours.
A mask made by Tilotama
Reuse and recycling sustainably are at the heart of his endeavour. He says, “Surgical masks cannot be used and reused as they are being done currently. Secondly what about the disposal of surgical masks? These are a bio-hazard; you can’t just throw them into your garbage. This will lead to a bigger problem – we will have a mountain of masks to deal with. It is a good time to educate about masks – which to use, how to use and even discard – since they are going to be obligatory from now on.”
Shalini manufactured the masks free of cost and Ikareth too is not selling but donating. Shalini does not discount manufacturing commercially since, as Ikareth says, wearing masks could be mandatory for some time.
