Switching stitches

Cult Texas designer now stitching more than 1,000 COVID-19 masks per day

Jon hard designs covid-19 fabric face masks factory

The company says it hopes to make up to 3,000 masks per day.

Photo courtesy of Jon Hart Designs

As COVID-19 continues to spread, so does the need for face masks. Medical-grade masks and N95 respirators have been largely reserved for medical professionals and first responders, requiring the public to craft or buy their own made out of fabric.

To help mitigate the need, San Antonio-based Jon Hart Design, famed for its monogramed leather and canvas bags, is redeploying some staff and materials to make protective face masks.

Working with area partners San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind, GameGuard, JoAnn Fabrics, and SAS (San Antonio Shoe) to fulfill orders, Jon Hart Design crafted 1,000 face coverings during its first day of production. That number, said Sharon Durham, president of Jon Hart Design, is expected to eventually climb to 3,000 masks per day. Those interested in purchasing a mask can email masks@jonhartdesign.com for more information.

The company's "duckbill mask" was initially designed with input from a registered ICU nurse and then modified after the company received feedback on the first versions. It now meets all CDC recommendations and even has a pocket for a filter.

With its newest initiative, the company now joins the 100 Million Mask Challenge, led by a Washington State-based healthcare provider and the American Hospital Association. The challenge asks American manufacturers like Jon Hart Design to create, well, 100 million masks.

“Our team began looking at ways we could quickly utilize our abilities and resources to help combat in the shared fight against COVID-19 while keeping as many team members working and employed as possible,” said Durham. “We are working around the clock with our incredible partners and sewers to fill orders and help protect members of the community.”

According to the company, the project has also allowed it to rehire 12 sewers, all of whom work in shifts to maintain social distancing.

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Fashion on display

Rare Halston fashion exhibition now on display in unlikely Texas city

Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen Noël Art Museum

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

A rare exhibition honoring fashion pioneer Halston has popped up in an unexpected place: West Texas. Dallas fashionistas who are fans of the designer can make a five-hour pilgrimage to Odessa’s newly revamped Ellen Noël Art Museum to view "Halston: Inventing American Fashion."

Halston’s minimalistic fashions are rarely the subjects of retrospectives, although the designer’s dramatic life story recently had a pop-cultural resurgence through a 2021 Ryan Murphy miniseries. "Halston: Inventing American Fashion" assesses the talent that made him a household name.

Known now for outfitting 1970s icons like Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger, Halston changed the international reputation of American sportswear as part of the famous 1973 “Battle of Versailles” fashion show, holding his own against Paris’ most lauded couturiers. His uniquely louche style still influences contemporary brands like Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Tom Ford, who was briefly the creative director for a revised Halston label.

The mannequins in the Odessa display are outfitted with 75 ensembles from flowing Ultrasuede daywear to more dramatic draped gowns. The pieces “illustrate how Halston revolutionized fashion by prioritizing comfort, confidence, and modern femininity,” according to a release.

Although Odessa may seem an odd choice for the show, Halston had deep Texas connections. After he moved on from hat making, Amarillo millionaire Estelle Marsh was his sole backer willing to fund his first Madison Avenue boutique.

$Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum, Odessa, new facade.$ The new facade at Ellen Noël Art MuseumPhoto courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

$Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum$

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

And the recently completed renovation of Odessa's Ellen Noël Art Museum has some of the designer’s signature sleek. Designed by architect R.J. Lopez, the renovation includes new galleries and improved circulation, but the centerpiece is a striking transparent façade, replacing the original brick of the 1985 building.

“The renovation project has been over 10 years in the making and in the construction phase for the past two years,” says the museum’s buildings manager, Steve Patton, via a release. “The completion of the project has resulted in an incredible facility that is a shining star in West Texas, offering programs and exhibits that will be a destination point for people all over the world!”

"Halston: Inventing American Fashion" will run through March 22. Admission to the Ellen Noël Art Museum is free.

exhibits odessa fashion west texas museums designer texas