When the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's dance and theater students start their fall semester later this month, they'll be getting a healthful ... and visually pleasant ... surprise: pandemic-mitigating masks designed and made by Don Bolinger.
The research assistant and costume shop manager for the university's theatre arts and dance department has created face coverings bearing images that give nods to the Peanuts characters, comic-book superheroes, Arkansas tourism and, well, the the very thing masks cover ... the mouth. He threw in a couple masks made of African ankara print and a Southwest pattern.
Because of covid-19, "we were no longer doing any productions," Bolinger says. "I'm a cutter-draper for the department, so I started looking at masks online. There were a lot of [mask-making] instructions on YouTube. And they were coming from Asian countries, because they've been more responsible about that anyway -- and for years."
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Bolinger was interested in the variety of mask patterns out there. He began to copy and draft those patterns to see which ones were a better fit and which were easier to make -- "to try and find a balance" between the two. "I played with that for a few days," he says.
Then the department chairman asked Bolinger to make masks to present, at the beginning of the fall semester, to the department's 60-plus theater and dance majors and minors and seven faculty members.
"So, I started making masks for all of them," Bolinger says.
"I tried to make them thematic in that ... I went online looking for dance-related fabric prints, or theatrical prints. A particular [fabric] company that I'm fond of is Spoonflower because you can have your own designs printed. But they also have a lot in their library.
"So I found a lot of interesting and fun things." But, Bolinger adds, "I was limited because I was having to spend my own money" for the fabrics obtained online. He has also used stock fabrics from the department. Several of the images are unmistakably retro: The Peanuts characters; a pair of "psychedelic" lips outlined a number of times and in different colors. Then there's that striking "medieval doctor" mask from the Black Plague era.
Some masks feature an elliptical shape with two "fins" that sit inside the mask but show above and below it once the mask is unfolded and put on the face. "They fit over the nose and under the chin; it just feels really good on the face."
Bolinger has 75-80 masks ready for students and faculty. But he has made "probably about 200 altogether" for family, friends and so on. Each mask took about 15 minutes to make.
"My new interest is in this neck-gaiter phase, which is the tube that fits over your head, and/or some kind of scarf mask so that it can be fashionable," Bolinger says. "You can take it down and wear it around your neck and it doesn't look like you've got a face mask hanging around your neck. I'm playing around with that and I'm interested in floating printed chiffons or rayons over something that's structured so that it has the function to really filter virus, but it also could be fashionable."
Masks as fashion is nothing new, Bolinger says. He cites designer Jean Paul Gaultier, who's been doing masks "forever."
"So, it's just interesting that it's come full circle."
Bolinger will take special orders. The masks are a $10 base fee; if a mask requires any special work, it will probably go for $15, he says. For more information, call him at (501) 569-8360.
ENTRE ATELIERDIRECT
Jill Ricciardone will soon be closing Feinstein's, her boutique in Little Rock's Heights neighborhood. But she's not going quietly into the retail-clothing night.
One of the store's most prominent offerings has been clothing by Lafayette 148 New York. Ricciardone has now become a stylist for a new division of that company, AtelierDirect -- "offering private shopping catering to clients in a post-covid economy," as stated in a news release. The company lined up stylists in 25 markets throughout the country to roll out the service.
"'Safety is the new luxury,'" Ricciardone says, quoting Lafayette 148's co-founder and chief executive officer, Deirdre Quinn. "The world has changed. ... Brick and mortar retail has been under siege. I do think that specialty stores have an advantage over the department stores, but I think that without having to have a storefront, I can even do better."
AtelierDirect carries on Lafayette 148's "sophisticated, clean-lined designs that fuse luxurious fabrics, outstanding craftsmanship and a modern sensibility inspired by the dynamism of New York City," as described in the news release.
Ricciardone is going to do a trunk show four times a year. The first one, however, will be held at Feinstein's, 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd., from Thursday through Aug. 19 during regular store hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. "For the very first time ever, because I work for them now, I have shoes and accessories and 240 pieces of apparel. That's going to be a totally different deal." She will offer these via special events, direct-to-customer sales and personal shopping, working largely by appointment and armed with a range of sizes for customers to try on. Orders will be drop-shipped directly to customers, who will have 14 days for returns and size exchanges. For more information, contact Ricciardone at (501) 680-2975.
MASKS WITH MORE
• "Haute hostess" Elizabeth Scokin is among those designers who have switched gears when it comes to fashion merchandise. The Blytheville native and Nashville resident -- known for high-end Haute Hostess aprons that made it all the way to No. 1 on Oprah Winfrey's O List, as well as home accessories -- began offering upscale masks. Her spring/summer masks, $25-$65 at hautehostesshome.com, feature "playful ginghams, seersuckers, and colorful prints with coordinating ties." Scokin will soon have masks for fall. Keep checking her website.
• Another designer, Eureka Springs-based Mark Hughes of Regalia Handmade Clothing, has also switched to mask making. In mid-April, "I had begun making face masks to distribute to our community, and was soon joined by a group of 50 volunteers ... ," he wrote in an email newsletter. By May 1, he and his group had distributed 3,500 masks to local hospitals, nursing homes, cashiers, service workers and others; when tourist traffic to Eureka Springs resumed, he and the other mask makers began to consider this a cottage industry. Hughes has added masks to his retro website, bingbangboomerang.com, offering them in sets of three in a variety of fun/whimsical prints: fruit, vegetables, butterflies, planets, musical instruments, and even a fierce-faced little coronavirus. Masks sets are $35, plus $5 shipping.
• Then there are those face coverings that are made of silver -- "scientifically proven to be an antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal agent," according to a news release touting TRU47 masks. Among the inventory: a pleated silver mesh mask, $52; a cupped one for $49; a copper and silver mask, $56. Kids' masks are available, too. The company also has silver gloves, $16, for "pumping gas and grocery shopping." Visit tru47.com.
• It's not enough just to offer masks: White House, Black Market is offering convertible face mask chains ... "created to keep your newfound essential within reach at all times," according to the news release. "Simply hook the chain to the ear loops of your favorite face covering." The chain can also be worn as a necklace. Several styles, $15 each, are available at whitehouseblackmarket.com.
UP CLOSE AND LUSH
Just about a year after it opened a bath-bomb pop-up shop in Little Rock that sold out long before it was scheduled to close, even with a restock ... the eco-conscious Lush Cosmetics has now opened a storefront in the city.
Located at the Promenade at Chenal, the 2059-square-foot store opened its doors July 23 and offers "Lush's full fresh range of handmade, cruelty-free products" -- dusting powders, shower gels, shampoo bars. The store features skin-care and hair-care areas where customers can go for personal consultations. With a decor fashioned almost entirely with reclaimed wood from barns or industrial buildings, the store is following social-distance and disinfecting protocols; face coverings and masks are mandatory for Lush staff and customers.
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