Victoria designer Jimbo was working on a collection for Vancouver Fashion Week before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now he’s using his skills to make masks that have proved wildly popular, and he’s turning success into a good deed.
“For every mask we sell, we give one to a homeless person,” said Jimbo, who goes by a first name only.
He personally gave out about 200 masks on Friday to people living in tents on Pandora Avenue and to outreach workers supporting the vulnerable community.
“They were so grateful and happy and kind,” he said.
Jimbo was inspired to use his skills to give back after driving down Pandora Avenue and seeing how many people were living outside in a small space without masks. He started by making 15 and posting a photo of his work on Facebook for friends and family. He sold more than 100 in the first day.
“Everyone just went crazy. They grabbed tons,” Jimbo said.
Jimbo has been sewing up to 18 hours a day for nearly two weeks and, with help from family and friends, has made between 400 and 500 masks.
He’s been able to scale up production by putting everyone to work in assembly-line fashion.
Customers can place mail orders or pick up their purchases from Jimbo’s Chinatown studio. In order to maintain physical distancing, Jimbo places the masks in a paper bag attached to a string and lowers the bag out of the window of his second-floor studio.
He plans to launch a website next week that will help him sell and donate masks across Canada.
“We’ve been in touch with a woman in Toronto, so we’re going to send a package of masks to Toronto so she can give them out for free there where they need them, too,” he said.
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> Masks can be ordered through Jimbo’s Facebook page: facebook.com/mask4mask551.
