Stay Safe in a Southern-Made Mask

Seven tastemakers bring their touch to the critical safety measure

As Mr. Rogers said, when there is a crisis, “Look for the helpers.” There are too many to name in our current situation, but since the pandemic began, I’ve kept tabs on the folks in the Southern style world churning out masks—many of them for front-line workers, as well as for the rest of us. And though it’s admittedly hard to look cool or chic wearing a mask—even if they’re beautiful—we all need to wear them, so why not branch out beyond the disposable surgical look? Here are seven of my favorites. Stay safe!

October 2, 2020

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Furbish Studio

I swoon over anything remotely resembling a block print, so the charming options from Raleigh’s Furbish Studio are on my short list—and they’re also available for littles. $38 for 5; furbishstudio.com

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Billy Reid

Alabama hometown hero Billy Reid created neutral unisex options, including those in custom cotton jacquards. $25 each; billyreid.com

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Gigi Burris

The Florida-born milliner added her take on the bandana mask to her long list of beautiful headgear. $70 each; gigiburris.com

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Lacefield Designs

The Georgia textile designer Beth Lacefield started sewing mask sets using her fabrics for adults, pre-teens, and children early on in the pandemic ($32 for 5; lacefielddesigns.com).

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Natalie Chanin

The Alabama Chanin fashion designer Natalie Chanin’s masks are equal parts rustic, refined, and resourceful—in the case of this mask, pictured, the ties are crafted from drop cloths. $38 each; alabamachanin.com

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Cutter Brooks

The Florida native Amanda Brooks worked with Native American artisan Mahnee Titus to create masks made from twentieth-century quilts. $53 each; cutterbrooks.com

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Erika Powell Textiles

The Florida interior and textile designer Erika Powell donates $5 for every mask sold to front-line workers at the Point Washington Medical Clinic, which provides testing and healthcare to those in need across the Florida Panhandle. $240 for 10; erikapowell.com

Haskell Harris is the founding style director at Garden & Gun. She joined the title in 2008 and covers all things design-focused for the magazine. The House Romantic: Curating Memorable Interiors for a Meaningful Life is her first book. Follow @haskellharris on Instagram.