Lucia’s Sarto is making high-fashion masks for front-line workers
Nataliya Lucia Meyer is a local fashion designer with a storefront by the Plaza. Orginially from Ukraine, she has shifted her business over to making masks and has been sometimes staying up until midnight cranking away generating the PPE for the communicating. She’s donating to local hospitals, selling to individuals, and trying her hardest to stay afloat.
On a regular day I’m a fashion designer making a variety of costumes gowns hemming pants,” Meyer says, “starting from small alterations to very complicated custom gowns. Now that this mess has happened I can’t have people working inside with me. They’re of various ages and health risks. So they’re working at home and drop off once a week. Making masks.”
She’s been frustrated that medical standards from the government keep changing, from demands to wearing public masks, to saying they don’t work, and boomeranging back again. That’s why she’s finding the places where to make donations, and funding those donations via members of the public that aren’t front-line workers, but still need the protetction.
This week, she made a donation to local firefighters. They showed up out in front of her shop… in their fire truck. Which delighted Meyer.
“It was amazing. I loved it.”
Like many local businesses doing a pivot, this is allowing her to keep her rent (and her employees) paid through this tough time.
Hilariously, based on her normal fashion style, many of the first rounds of masks have featured eclectic styles, including floral prints. A fellow local designer Christian Michael donated a set of heavier denim, that she’s using for the next round of firefighters.
“I think they will be more comfortable wearing those masks than walking around in sheer or floral print.”
We disagree. We would prefer our fire teams to be absolutely fabulous. But you know; whatever. Let’s agree: nothing can be better than protecting our front-line with high-end fashion for low-end situations.
Today, she’s waiting for a second truck full of firemen first-responders to show up today, to pick up their order.
Our pals at Pilsen Photo Coop did a quick shoot for Nataliya and the shop. Please enjoy The New Fashion during the age of The New Normal.
Lucia’s Sarto
4808 Belleview Avenue
Store Hours: Monday – Saturday 11am to 4pm
816-298-0003
