Safe and stylish . . . Masks as high fashion as designers join COVID act

They’ve become the must-have, unisex, one-size-fits-all accessory of the age. Masks.

Now seamstress and designer Allison Wilson of Allison’s Creations has teamed up with another designer who goes by the name StarXen to making the anti-virus face protection free for essential services workers.

Wilson told Barbados TODAY:  “For regular persons I am making masks for $10 each but for those in the essential services I do them for free. I decided that this was my way of giving back.

“I am blessed with great health and yes I have bills like everyone else but in times like these it is good to help. God blessed me with a talent and if I can help I would in whatever manner I can.”

Wilson described how she went about making the masks.

She said: “In terms of making the masks itself when I started, I was using elastic. I usually have elastic and extra fabric and I am a person who would normally work with African print or I would buy and put down so that is one of the reasons why I decided that I would not charge essential workers.”

The owner of the 20-year-old company left her job as a sales supervisor in 2018 to work from her own office space next to her home in Newbury, St George.

“And it is going pretty good. I love what I do and sometimes I don’t even need a reason to go on my machine. I just love to sew,” said Wilson.

She said what keeps her going especially at this time is her firm belief in God.

Wilson continued: “My talent is a gift from God I did not go anywhere to learn. If I want to make something I go on the internet but I am blessed beyond measure and I appreciate the very small things in life.”

She said she spoke to her son’s dad who is very supportive of her and she told him that she wanted to make masks for the nurses and the people who have to go to work and she said she started from there.

“There is nothing that I cannot do. I may not be able to do it the first time but I do not stop until I get it done,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Musician and fashion designer StarXen said that she is seeing a spike in customers for face masks that but is having problems as she is the only one behind the machine.

She said: ” Masks are in high demand and business is going well. Sadly it is only me who is behind the machine and with the COVID -19 it is hard to do it alone. Another challenge is because there is more than one step to be taken per mask.  I cut everything and make everything by hand.”

She said that knowing that the masks are not just a StarXen design but are important for those in need makes it all the more trying.

She is also donating her services to those in the essential services.

Her mantra by Violet Flame is, “It is a mindset, it is a meditation, it is a change in your inner being to manifest things for them to work.”

Her proudest moment is working for Aura as a main model and assistant to the main designer.

She also worked for King Bubba as designer for his background dancers for the show Illuminate.

The singer advises younger entrepreneurs that preparation meets opportunity and that they should prepare for what they wish to happen tomorrow.

“If tomorrow comes and you don’t have anything prepared for it then you would have to start over. So why not start today? Also, make sure that you put forward a plan or portfolio of what you do and how you look so that you can be taken seriously. Speak to people behind the scenes so that you would know the route to take to get where you want to get,” she advised.

Allison advises younger designers to practise their craft over and over.

“I have failed a few times and I went and got more fabric and tried again. I remember when I could not put in an invisible zip and I went and put it in perfectly. The more you do the better you get at it.”

Those interested in getting masked up are urged to look out for Allison on Instagram at Allison’s Creations  and Star on Instagram at StarXen. (MR)