One Year Since Fashion Designers Create & Donate 30,000 Masks During COVID Pandemic
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One Year Since Columbus Fashion Council & Local Designers Provided 30,000+ Masks During Pandemic Mask Shortage

COLUMBUS, OH – March 11, 2021,
In early 2020, the Columbus Fashion Council (CFC) responded to the shortage of face masks, created by COVID-19, by rolling out an initiative involving fashion designers, boutiques, and both fashion related and non-fashion related companies across the nation.
"A year ago during a very scary and uncertain time, our organization saw an opportunity to make an impact through our vast network of fashion designers and businesses. Mobilizing local and international designers and businesses to create or fund masks was a moment that reflected the heart of the fashion industry. The designers and businesses stepped up during a very crucial time and likely saved people's lives. Within one month of starting this initiative, we had reached a total of 30,000 donated masks." - Thomas McClure, Founder/Executive Director, Columbus Fashion Council

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The result of this initiative, in partnership with IL Moda Brand Development, was 30,000 masks provided to Ohio Health Facilities, NASA, various military branches, and the Navajo Nation, showing that fashion has heart and showing the importance of fashion in every aspect of our lives and of the world. "The unprecedented opportunity to rally our community, businesses, clients and friends during this pandemic was extraordinary. We went from manufacturing and producing luxury goods to now PPE which directly impacted our community. We really defined, 'in this together' and IL Moda was honored to aid in that effort." - Lubna Najjar, Owner/CEO, IL Moda Brand Development.

Local fashion designers became unlikely heroes during the pandemic, designing and creating masks and then donating them to local Ohio Health Facilities. Local designer who has showcased during CFC's flagship program Fashion Week Columbus, Gerardo Encinas, saw this as an opportunity to give back but didn't expect to see his own fashion design brand to be sustained by offering fashionable masks to his clientele. "I saw the Columbus Fashion Council mask initiative as a perfect way to make an impact by doing what I do best. I designed and donated hundreds of fun fashionable masks to Ohio Health so our healthcare workers would be safe. Through this process, I ended up creating a unique mask pattern and a hundred different designs to sell to the public. This has kept my brand afloat through the pandemic." - Gerardo Encinas, Fashion Designer, Encinas Designs & GStyle Fashions.

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Initiative & Participants
CLICK HERE (https://www.columbusfashioncouncil.org/covid19-response)

About CFC:
As a non-profit 501(c)(3) status organization, our mission is to provide scholarships to fashion design students and a platform for local fashion designers.