CLOTHING designer Lesley Tamaev decided to have some
fun with the task, giving her masks some flair. She is
a former design director for Ralph Lauren sleepwear
and now has her own clothing line called Rove & Roam
headquartered in downtown Wilmington. With everything from
plaids to florals on hand, she designed a face covering prototype,
joined the local chapter of Open Source COVID-19, and donated as
many masks as she and husband Sergey could make in a day.
“Once I put a listing for ‘free masks for healthcare workers’ on our
website, orders started flowing in,” Tamaev says.
Messages of thanks along with selfies flooded her in-box.
“Not only are they beautifully made, but the fit is perfect as well,”
wrote one happy recipient. “Thank you for your great product and for
sharing the free ones with those who need it most!” wrote another.
As demand grew, Tamaev put the masks for sale, promising one
would be donated for each sold.
The masks are made with pre-washed woven cotton as recom-mended
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and each
has its own name.
“I think people enjoy them, and are drawn to the names,” laughs
Tamaev.
There’s “Cat People,” covered in cat faces, “Feeling Ferny” made
with a print of ferns, and “Island Bliss,” a Hawaiian print one restau-rant
ordered for all its workers.
“It’s Saturday night!” was the caption on a post on the Rove & Roam
Instagram feed with a picture of a model striking a dance move
wearing a “That 70’s Floral” face mask.
“This wasn’t in our plan for the upcoming season, but plans change,”
Tamaev says.
# D O I N ’ G O O D
Top: Sergey Tamaev cuts fabric for face masks while
his wife, Lesley Tamaev, sews in the ear straps. Lesley
finishes a mask with the iron.
july 2020 24
WBM