I think I can speak for all of us when I say, we can’t wait for the day to come when we can hug our friends and family, go out and dine in at our favorite restaurants, and not need to wear masks wherever we go. Until then, we’ll gladly shelter in place and don our masks to keep our communities safe. Today we’re rounding up a few of our favorite independent brands + designers who have generously shifted their focus and manufacturing towards creating masks available for purchase and for donating them to healthcare workers, food delivery workers, elderly, and immuno-compromised individuals.
Please consider purchasing a few for you, friends, family, and neighbors, even if it means pre-ordering or signing up for email notifications for out of stock items. In these uncertain circumstances, small businesses are struggling to meet demands due to limited workers/time/resources/materials, and many are generously donating masks out of pocket. Some aren’t taking profits at all for their buy-one-give-one programs. In purchasing a modern mask, you’re protecting yourself, your community, and communities beyond your city limit. Stay safe out there, we’re all in this together.
Masks by Minna, $15 for one. For every mask purchased, Minna will donate a mask to an organization in need.
Masks by Parachute Home, $30 for five. For every set sold, a set will be donated to those in need through GetUsPPE and Safe Place for Youth.
Masks by Lupa Bags, $25 for one. Instead of a 1-for-1 program, designer Katrina Espiritu is donating as many masks as she can for as long as her funds allow. Your purchase contributes to shipping and materials for the continued production of masks for workers.
Masks by Pepper Home, $14 for one. You can also place a donation between $25-100 which helps provide masks for healthcare workers. A minimum donation of $25 provides four masks, and you can specify where you’d like the masks to go during checkout.
Masks by Heather Taylor Home, $50 for 10. For every 10 pack purchased, HTH is donating 10 to those in need, including St. Joseph Center for distribution among LA’s homeless population, health care workers at several Los Angeles hospitals including UCLA, Cedars Sinai, MLK, LA County, + USC, as well as LA County social workers, among others.
Masks by Aplat, $24 for one. Aplat has several programs, including free masks for medical workers at the cost of shipping, $70 for five masks for essential workers in food, grocery, and hospitality businesses, or a buy-one-give-one program in which a mask will be donated to a frontline medical worker for the purchase of one modern mask.
Masks by Hedley & Bennett, $22 for one. Founder Ellen Marie Bennett (you might have caught her during our Brave New World IGTV series!) is doing a buy-one-give-one program with masks being donated to those working on our front lines: the doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store employees, restaurant workers, and all others who are putting their lives on the line for us every day.
Masks by Christy Dawn, $35 for five. Los Angeles-based designer Christy Dawn is prioritizing mask only orders and for every five sold, five are donated. It’s a sustainable modern mask made with 100% doubled headstock cotton and is also available in child sizes.
Emergency Masks by ADIFF, $15 for one. We’ll thank one of our readers, Nicole Eure, who left a comment and tipped us off about ADIFF, female-founded company that rose to fame for their Trench and Bomber jackets that can actually turn into tents. These jackets are designed to shelter homeless and refugee populations and sold on a buy-one-give-one model. The company is now also making masks on the same BOGO model, with all proceeds of the mask sales going towards the resettled refugee tailors in Afghanistan that they employ to create all their collections. (They’re also giving away these free masks.)
Masks by MOO, $30 for 25. We’ve used MOO before for our printing needs, but we never thought we could tap on them for face masks! A more environmentally friendly option than other disposable masks, these breathable masks are 100% recyclable and made of cotton paper created entirely out of t-shirt offcuts (a waste product of the garment industry). A kirigami (cut paper) design contributes to the secure fit to adapt to all face shapes.
Masks by Graf Lantz, $57 for three. Made from a double layer of 100% organic cotton, these masks come in packs of three in a variety of colors. An adjustable nose band and built-in filter pocket take them up a notch from the average mask.
Masks by Someone Somewhere, $19 for one. These masks tick off several boxes that many masks don’t. They can be rolled up and secured so that they don’t get dirty when not in use, they include a filter pocket, and because they’re made with Someone Somewhere’s Magic Loom textile, they’re reflective and visible from 50 feet. Someone Somewhere employs rural artisans across five of Mexico’s poorest states – Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Hidalgo and Estado de Mexico – to create their collections. For every mask purchased, they’ll provide one for the communities that craft them.
Masks by Baggu, $32 for three. We knew we could count on one of our favorite brands to create eye-catching masks in fun colorways. These ones have adjustable straps, a nose wire, and a filter insert pocket. For every pack of masks sold, a portion goes towards a rotating roster of charities, including Black Voters Matter Fund, Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Community Alliance with Family Farmers.
Masks by DIOP, $15 for one. These masks pack a bunch in the graphics department because they’re made with Ankara, bold and patterned fabrics used throughout West Africa. This unique textile pays homage to the founder Mapate Diop’s heritage and is used throughout the brand’s collection. If your ears are feeling sore from poor fitting masks, these ones are a welcomed option since they go around the head instead of the ears. A portion of the masks goes towards Feed The Frontlines in Detroit where DIOP is based, but DIOP regularly donates to vulnerable communities in Detroit anyways. You can see where each donation goes to under their Donation Program tab.
Masks by Buck Mason, $30 for five. Simple and straight to the point, Buck Mason’s triple-layered masks redistribute pressure from the ears to the neck for better comfort. It also has an anti-microbial coating for extra protection. What’s more impressive is the brand’s mission, Masks for America, which aims to donate 1 million non-medical facemarks to frontline workers (they’ve already donated over 600,000 masks – an applaudable number that rivals companies far bigger in size).
Masks by KES, $17 for one. Finally, for luxe comfort and for those with sensitive skin, KES’ masks are made from 100% elongated fiber Mulberry Silk Charmeuse and are worn around the head instead of the ears. Not only does silk feel nicer on the skin, its tightly woven fabrication helps decrease the loss of moisture. With a 1-for-1 donation model, KES has already donated tens of thousands of masks to frontline workers, as well as Black and minority communities.
One final note: if you’re unable to purchase a mask, this video from Headspace shows you how to make a no-sew masks in less than two minutes.
>>> For additional mask options, visit the Design Milk Shop here! <<<
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