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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RETAIL APOCALYPSE

Mall favorite Francesca's to close all stores in Dallas and nationwide

Francesca's/ Facebook

Francesca's is known for its boho-chic dresses and tops.

After a decade of falling fortunes, Texas-based women’s clothing chain Francesca’s is clearing out all its racks. The once-mighty retailer is closing all of its stores nationwide, including several locations in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Although the company has not made any official pronouncement, Women’s Wear Daily reports that the brand is currently in the process of liquidating all of its inventory. According to the fashion industry trade journal, some employees are reporting that they were let go without warning, while vendors are allegedly seeking payment on hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid invoices.

Francesca’s was founded in Houston in 1999, becoming sought out for its boho-chic offerings that occupied a similar lane to Anthropologie. Over roughly 15 years, it quickly ramped up its footprint, peaking at over 600 locations by 2016.

That explosive growth did not prove to be popular with shareholders. That same year, the Wall Street Journal reported that its stock prices had plunged to their lowest price since Francesca’s went public in 2011. Despite leadership changes, the chain has been on a downward slope since.

In 2020, Francesca’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while it sought a buyer for its online operation and brick-and-mortar stores. The chain closed almost 250 of its storefronts by early 2021.

After completing reorganization and being bought out of bankruptcy by an affiliate of TerraMar Capital and Tiger Capital Group, Francesca’s attempted a revival by launching a tween line, Franki by Francesca’s, and gobbling up celebrity-endorsed lifestyle brand Richer Poorer.

Francesca's still had Dallas-Fort Worth stores in West Village, Galleria Dallas, Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Firewheel Town Center in Garland, The Shops at Legacy in Plano, The Shops at Highland Village, Southlake Town Square, NorthEast Mall, Arlington Highlands, Glade Park in Euless, and Sundance Square and The Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth.

It’s unclear exactly when the local stores will shutter, but the company recently changed its return policy to state all sales are final after January 14. A request to Francesca’s corporate headquarters for comment was not immediately returned.

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