9 minute read
FEATURE: Saint Louis Fashion Fund
from April 24, 2020
by Ladue News
Called Create to
By Alecia Humphreys | Photos courtesy of Saint Louis Fashion Fund
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The Saint Louis Fashion Fund is manufacturing masks to benefit those in need during the COVID-19 crisis.
Dr. Kumiko Shimoda
WhenMichaelDrummond of the SaintLouis Fashion Fund saw the call for medical masks in Seattle, he knew the metro area would likely follow close behind, and so he answered the call to create.
“I knew St. Louis was about a week or two behind the curve in terms of what they were experiencing, so I thought maybe we should get on the horn,” Drummond says. “I had put up a post [on Facebook] asking if anyone knew if this was a legitimate thing – do medical workers act ually want these? – because you hear so much misinformation these days.”
Drummond says comments keptconfirming the need, whichledhimto create a Facebook group dubbed STL Makers Unite for Medical Masks.
“It had 300 followers in two days,” he says. “So there was adefinite outpouring from the city.”
Once Drummond determined the demand was there, he began working on a design with Dr. Kumiko Shimoda, an anesthesiologist at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield.
“We found from the research I did that a polyester/cotton blendseemed to be best in terms of breathability and if you’re going to reusethem,” Drummond says.“The fitwas important,obviously, becauseyoudon’twant to have too much aircirculation between the perimeter and theoutside world. … Comfort was important because, worst-case scenario, doctors are wearing them, and they’d be wearing them for very long periods of time.”
Approximately 12 iterations later, and Drummond had mastered the mask, creating four sizes – a small for young children and three sizing options for adults. Although the masks aren’t N95 grade – “the most common of the seven types of particulate filtering facepiece respirators,” according to the federalCentersforDisease Control and Prevention– theywillprotect
– Michael Drunnond
Vian Muhammed
Irene Blank
Kristin Johnson
Quinn Liu
Rhonda Curtis
wearers by reducing the intake of infectious particles, as well as serve as a barrier to prevent people from touching their faces.
“At the same time, the previous week, I had been in touch with friends who work for various clothing manufacturers in the city and learned they had lost their jobs,” he recalls. “They are people who are very skilled and are just very adept and quick at pivoting things.”
Drummond decided these skilled souls would become seamstresses as part of this project.
“So I have a team of 10 seamstresses and a former colleague of mine who is an amazing production manager, and we set up a fund,” Drummond says. “The idea was, my production manager and I would deliver the materials to their [the seamstresses’] door, they would manufacture them, we would pick them up and take them to the fire department, and they would distribute them as needed. No human interaction.”
The tenacious team will be making 14,000 masks in a 45-day time frame before handing them to the St. Louis Fire Department for distribution.
“They are happy to partner with us, which is fantastic,” Drummond says. “My concern was, again, limiting human contact. I was like, if this is going to work, we can’t be going to every hospital in the city. The thought was if we put these into the hands of emergency workers like the fire department, they will know best where their usage is.”
Just as the project was about to be released to thepublic,the Saint Louis Fashion Fund received a$70,000donation from longtime supporter Michelle Trulaske and her children, Kay and Steven. The projectalso received a large textile donation fromCarr Textiles in St.Louis to produce its masks.
“We were so impressed that Michael and the [fund] could pull together such a significant effort and wanted to do our part,” Trulaske says. “We hope others will rise to the occasion and continue the wonderful work of Michael and his team of stitchers.”
Although Drummond believes this might be just the beginning of this need –gowns being a potential future piece to the project– he is holding on to hope.
“Come 45 days or before the 45 days, we will have a sense of where we are,” he says. “God willing, though, we won’t need any of them.”
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