By Caroline Macfarlane
So I’ve been seeing a lot of people without masks on lately. And I always wonder what their thinking is. Don’t they care that they could be putting other people at risk? Don’t they care that they are 75% more susceptible to getting the virus or spreading it without one? Although we are all tired of the pandemic , tired of not being able to hug each other, tired of not being able to go out dancing or share food with one another; it is imperative that we continue to be vigilant about hand washing, social distancing and mask wearing. This virus is still here. Today there are 14.6 million confirmed COVID cases worldwide and this number will be exponentially higher by the time you read this. In the United States alone there are 3.9 million confirmed cases today, and have been over 143 thousand deaths in just a few months. We are all watching in horror as the states that have clamoured to “re-open” too soon and who have framed mask wearing as a political issue explode with new cases and deaths. It is clear that “face coverings” saves lives. Masks have also become a clear symbol of basic decency. Wearing one shows that a) you’re not an asshole and b) that you care about others. It’s a sign of respect.
When my colleague Catha told me she was going to start designing, sewing and selling colorful masks in the middle of the pandemic, I was both grateful and excited. I had tried a few different masks up until that point and none of them had fit well. Some were too loose. Others too tight. I was tired of wearing the generic hospital masks. They remind me of all the times I had to wear one visiting my brother in a cancer ward. I couldn’t wait to try out Catha’s masks. I knew Catha would create a mask that was not only well designed by also super fresh - the woman not only has talent, but style.
Catha, a filmmaker and costume designer (——names of movies, series———) had been focusing on making her own films pre COVID, but when COVID hit NYC, she had to press the pause button on her own productions and find something new to do. As she and I have collaborated on many projects, we called each other often during quarantine and spoke about how important it would be to find other ways of getting creative and finding purpose amid lockdown life. Catha decided early on to dust off her sewing machine and make masks. At the time she began making masks, Drs were being given garbage bags to wear as PPE and there was a desperate shortage of masks. Catha wanted to give back to the city that had become her home and so @payitforward_bk was established in her small apartment in East Williamsburg, as she sewed mask after mask with the sirens blaring outside the window and Cuomo on the TV.
I believe that if you have to wear something everyday - it should not only feel good, but make you feel good when you’re wearing it. Since receiving my first Pay It Forward mask, I haven’t stopped wearing them. I have a few on rotation and I wear them everyday. Catha makes each mask by hand. They are 100% cotton, which means you can wash and reuse them ( hello sustainability)! They also have a replaceable filter pocket, elastic loops for the ears and a wire across the bridge of the nose for optimal fit. I’ve even started putting a drop of essential oil on my filters so that they double as a little aromatherapy when I put them on. Catha tested out a number of prototypes on friends before going to production to make sure they fit well and were comfortable . She believes that the more comfy it is to wear a mask, the more likely people are to wear them and to wear them correctly, and she’s right. Also they look good. Each mask is colorful and unique. If we have to wear masks every time we walk out the door - why not look fly at the same time!?
In addition to being designed and made well, Catha has created an inspiring business model that I hope motivates other designers to follow suit. For every mask bought, a mask is given away to an essential worker or individual facing incarceration. When you buy one for yourself, you are buying one for someone else who really needs it. Before lockdown, Catha was in pre production for a documentary film she has been developing that deals with the overwhelming issues women experiencing incarceration face today , both inside prison and after they have been released. Catha cares deeply about this issue and has found a way to continue reaching out to these women who are trapped within the carceral state, a space that has unsurprisingly become a hotspot for the virus . The idea of paying it forward is embedded in the business model. How cool is that? Whether you are out on the streets protesting, or self isolating at home, you need a mask. Why not buy a high quality one for yourself and in doing so also someone else? Let’s start spreading kindness, generosity and care for one another at the same rate as the virus. That’s the only way we get out of this mess.
