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JENNIFER ROTHWELL After gifting several masks t
o clients and friends I had an overwhelming amount of clients asking to purchase my masks. The first two masks launched were, the Magenta Hummingbird Print and the Blue Ocean Underworld. They are a three layer mask, (two layers with a one layer filter) that are reusable and can be washed at high temperature. I have since developed silk printed and tweed masks, ones with elastic adjustable toogles and ones with string tie backs. We have made them very affordable selling at €17 with additional discounts applied for multiple buys so people can buy one for themselves and also gift to loved ones! It’s lovely to be able to create beautiful uplifting designs and make them into masks which can be very impersonal and scary looking. My masks are very comfortable to wear and give people, extra protection, confidence while remaining stylish. As one of my clients said, “If we need to wear masks why not wear one that makes a statement.” Most importantly, our masks are sustainable with zero waste and are printed and made in Ireland. Buying our masks also helps the local Irish economy, which is needed more than ever at this difficult time. jenniferrothwell.com Modelled by Jennifer’s daughter Isabelle ZOE CAROL On the 9th of March, I was teaching my kids sewing class. The kids had finished their project early so I suggested that we make face coverings for the craic. It was just when Covid was hitting the news, but in no way did we think we’d actually need them. Three days later, we were in lockdown, my sewing classes came to a halt and I was left wondering what to do for an income. I was just about to launch a new womenswear collection after a four-year hiatus, but it didn’t feel right to keep going. For a week I toyed with the idea of making face coverings, but was reluctant until a friend asked me to make some. Eight weeks and over 1,500 face coverings later, I’m still financially standing. I didn’t think anyone would care to wear my Irish linen face coverings but I’m glad they did. I was on Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment for three weeks and it was great relief when I was able to deregister. The worry lifted and more importantly, I was busy through the pandemic. I stopped stress cooking and cleaning, and went back to doing what I love. In the challenges of career pivoting, I learned so much. This time around, there was no time for trial and error, the design had to be exact because people depended on it. I can’t afford to design selfishly anymore and I’ve gladly adapted this to my womenswear designs and business as a whole. zoecarol.com/facecoverings 17