PPE for the urban life

Contributed photos
Contributed photos

WITH the pandemic, a lot of fashion designers have shifted to the production of personal protective equipment (PPE). Jun Artajo is one of them.

While many of them are into PPE production now, the Davao City-based designer opted to make something that can be used in the daily urban life.

Artajo narrated that his apparel business was badly hit by the health crisis. It stopped operating from mid-March until mid-May.

“From that time of sudden halt, we thought of shifting our main line of product to other things considered as a ‘necessity’. However, textiles and materials came only after when the city shifted to GCQ (general community quarantine), when half of the tailors also came back to work,” he said.

Artajo and his team produce non-medical PPE meant for those in the urban, such as the motorists, shoppers and commuting office workers. These PPE are designed “to keep themselves protected while staying in fashion.”

“I did some color blocking jackets with some vinyl ‘X’ print on both sides and the back part to give a notion of ‘social distance’. We also used silver-backed taffeta to give protection from water mists and droplets,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Artajo’s mask production started even before the City Government’s implementation of strict quarantine guidelines. This was also to respond to the lack of disposable non-woven facemask back then.

“We started our production with the use of fabrics intended for company uniforms, bridal, and some specialty fabrics. We definitely have a high quality of fabrics--wool, cotton,” he said about his batik-inspired masks, adding that he made sure to make something that will give “some sunshine out of our gloomy days.”

Most of the people who patronize their new designs are workers who need to be outside almost every day. Some balikbayans who got stranded here for a while but finally had the schedule to go back overseas are among their clients, too. Some of the face masks have been sent to clients in the United States as well.

The current situation could be tough but Artajo’s determination and commitment remain.

To his fellow designers, he had this to say: “It has been a tough year for every one of us, what we can only do is to on helping each other. This is the best time to hone our skills, re-evaluate our design thoughts, and be one with the community. We are all in this pandemic, and we can get through this. We only need support, thus, we will survive.”

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If you have special events and fashion tips to share, or just want to discuss any fashion-related concerns with me, you are always free to reach me at mendoza.jennygrace@gmail.com.

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