Courtesy of Michelle Lopez
Michelle Lopez is a Milwaukee-based fashion designer and the owner of a children’s clothing brand called theMINIclassy. Unfortunately, after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the factory where her clothes are made had to be shut down. That’s when Lopez decided to shift gears to making masks at home to help with personal protective equipment shortages. After her friends began asking for custom masks, she decided to start her own brand of face masks called Mask On.Mask Off. Since then, she’s donated over 400 masks to hospitals and clinics, and has donated $1,600 of the proceeds to Black Lives Matter organizations.
First, tell me a bit about you. Where did you grow up? How has living in Milwaukee shaped you as a person?
I’m a lifelong Milwaukeean, born on the East Side and raised in Shorewood. A few things I absolutely love about our city would be the diversity, the arts and entertainment culture and the Midwest work ethic and I believe those absolutely helped to shape me as a person growing up. And even though there are things about Milwaukee that could definitely be better, we’ve always had tight-knit communities and strong leaders that have helped create a sense of unity within the city, and that's something I hope will continue, especially with the current social and political climate.
Courtesy of Michelle Lopez
What led you to fashion design?
I've literally loved fashion for as long as I can remember, even as far back as 2 to 3 years old. I come from a super creative family, so I guess it’s just in my genes. My great-grandpa was a well-respected local watercolorist, my grandma was a fashion illustrator for Gimbels as well as several local fur companies, my dad is a commercial artist/neon sign designer and my mom was a costume designer/seamstress and she made a ton of our clothes, so I literally grew up in a design studio and surrounded by all the elements. I always knew I wanted to be a fashion designer and spent a lot of time when I was little making/altering Barbie clothes which eventually led me to pursue a degree in Apparel Product Development at Mount Mary University here in Milwaukee.
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About 8 years ago I started theMINIclassy, a Milwaukee-based kids streetwear brand with a friend of mine. The brand gained a lot of popularity with celebrities and influencers and was eventually picked up by Barneys NY, Nordstrom, Fred Segal and Ron Robinson in Beverly Hills. Our clothes have been spotted on the kids of Beyoncé and Jay Z, the Kardashians, Ice T and Coco, Daymond John (Fubu/Shark Tank), Fergie, Tori Spelling and several more. When COVID hit in March, we were about to go into production but, unfortunately, our factory closed, we sold out of product and our sales dropped. So, since then, we’ve been trying to figure out how to move forward and I'm happy to say that we have a pretty solid comeback plan that we're putting into action now. With all that said, I knew back in March that I needed to somehow pivot to be able to continue in the fashion industry, and after making and donating hundreds of masks to local hospitals and clinics, one of my friends asked for a customized mask and that's when I decided to start the brand.
What made you want to donate your masks to hospitals/clinics?
Honestly, I felt helpless just sitting at home watching the news when this all started in March, and once they began announcing that there were PPE shortages, I knew I had to help in any way I could. I also have family and friends in the medical field, so it was even more important and personal that I did something to pitch in and help.
How much of your proceeds go to the Black Lives Matter organizations? Which organizations do you donate to?
Currently, I'm donating 25% of BLM product proceeds to BLM organizations, but from late April to August, I donated 100% of my proceeds of BLM products to www.blacklivesmatter.org and to www.defendingblacklives.org and have been able to donate almost $1,600 so far. I’m also planning a new campaign to start donating to a local organization that provides support for survivors of human trafficking.
What makes your masks unique?
I originally got the pattern from the CDC website, but have since made my own adjustments per customer feedback. Currently, I’m following the CDC recommendation for 3-layer protection, so the inner layer is an Oeko-Tex Certified 100% cotton, meaning no harmful chemicals were used during the fabric milling and dying process, the middle layer is a polypropylene filter, which is the same fabric that the disposable blue hospital masks are made from and the outer layers are mixed. Some are 100% cotton, some a cotton-blend or other blends, and I have a few that are a vintage Thai silk that was given to me by my grandma years ago. Each mask has a bendable nose wire for a more custom/better fit and I'm offering ties or an adjustable ear loop option which not a lot of mask brands are doing. I have quite a large catalog to choose from with lots of fun graphics, prints and patterns. I also collaborated on a cute little capsule collection with my 8-year-old daughter this summer called “Super Kitty Sasha” where we put some of her artwork on masks and donated 50% of the proceeds to the ASPCA and to the Villalobos Rescue Center (from the show Pitbulls and Parolees). The collection was a big hit and we're currently planning to do another mini collection this fall/winter.
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Do you make all of the masks by hand?
Yep! All masks are made by hand, by me. The most I’ve made in one day was 65, which seems insane, but I just pop in my earbuds, put on my fave podcast and I'm on autopilot the rest of the day. The next thing I know it's 4 p.m. and time to figure out what I’m making for dinner!
What inspires you to keep going through these stressful times?
I’d say my family first and foremost. I’m married and have two daughters, a 17-year-old high school senior and an 8-year-old third grader that I need to be there for, so it's been super important for me to stay busy, focused and clear minded while navigating through all this craziness. I'm also currently caring for my 96-year-old wheelchair-bound grandma with dementia, which is an extremely stressful full-time job itself; but, again, it’s something that keeps me busy and focused. My goal with MaskOn.MaskOff. was to try to make the best out of a bad situation and create a product that allows people to express themselves and their personalities through fashion while protecting others and themselves. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll all be wearing masks for a while yet, so I'm going to continue offering a wide variety of styles to choose from with the added benefit of being able to feel good about donating to different organizations.
MaskOn.MaskOff. masks can be purchased at www.maskon-maskoff.com with the option for pick-up or delivery.
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