by Brigette Mashile
Why don’t we make masks for sale? That was the message from my mom recently. I decide to call her to talk to her about my thoughts. Her question is on point, this seems to be the only item anyone with a sewing machine should be doing currently. Ignore all the wedding, graduation, party or any other event outfits you had orders on; if the last time you touched your sewing machine is 10 years ago… now it’s the time to bring it out again. There is an advert flyer I say it said South Africa needs 36 million masks and you can get to make some of them. What a number!
So I called my mom on video to tell her my worries about the mask situation:
If I go into it, I have to either target high end or volume
I also should probably try and get a huge order with a school, company, etc.
Because these are tiny items with detail and regulations on them.
My mom understands, or at least says she does. My family knows my business well, they are aware that I do custom orders. I have a small studio with at most 2 people helping me at a time. So we are hardly a factory. This means if you are like me you have to find ways to play with the big guys - the people with the factory, those who can produce 1000 masks a day. That is if you decide to go into this business.
I have spent some time researching or rather watching what other designers and labels are delivering. I have seen a Louis Vuitton mask and hey it is stunning. Yes, we are in a pandemic and the main reason for these is to avoid infection, but I am in the business of fashion. Aesthetic is important to me. It is my job to find fun and interesting ways to present items that are deemed necessary. Also, we are not sure how long we will be wearing these masks for; at some point you might want multiple cuts, designs and colours.
I have seem amazing detail from some local designers. From denim, to seshweshwe, to African print, to cotton, to one colour, to 2 layers, one layer and even 4 layers. Everyday we are finding better ways to make them; to create an attractive and more fitting item for longer use. Who would have thought the next big fashion item is a piece of cloth to cover half your face? Well, I am excited, if I can create whatever I want at an affordable price and still be able to deliver on the functionality…hooray.
My advise to anyone interested in the mask frenzy is, consider what your company is able to do at minimal cost. Decide if you have the capability to task up and assess if you will make a profit. I know currently it might be the only business accessible to us, as many of us have had to stop production of anything else non essential during lockdown. But every time I take on any opportunity with haste and out of desperation I always make horrible mistakes and losses. So, as always, plan, measure risk and strategize.
Lastly, be ready. Have your numbers ready on hand should an opportunity present itself. If someone does call you with an order of 1000 masks…do you know your daily production, do you have a bulk price for each mask, do you know which fabric and elastic that number is based on? Be prepared. A lot of these orders are on a need and urgent basis; answers will be required within a minute or two. Please also don’t forget to communicate to your team about readiness; they may have been off work for a few weeks. Some might be in other home based projects or out of town (unable to travel back). The worst position is having promised a quantity you cannot deliver. So even if it doesn’t look like it will happen, prepare.
Brigette Mashile is the founder and creative force behind Roka Roko, a custom fashion design business based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company passionately delivers quality tailored and trendy fashion to make their customers happy, and specializes in styling women by creating unusual combinations with fabric, culture and style. Brigette has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Witwatersrand and a Fashion Diploma from Studio5 School of Fashion. She’s a former fashion buyer for a major retailer in South Africa, and an international direct selling company. She’s been passionate about fashion since the age of 10 and gained invaluable experience in the fashion world running informal fashion creation businesses until the day her own Roka Roko brand was born. Find out more by visiting the Roka Roko website www.rokaroko.co.za
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