interview MARLLEY GONZALEZ
Fabric, scissors, and ingenuity. These are some of the key components that Michael Costello employs to fight back against Covid-19 and make a contribution during a global pandemic. Fashion was something that always came naturally to Michael. The designer opened up his first boutique in Palm Springs at the age of 15 and by the time he turned 34 was honored with the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. While many fans recognize him from Lifetime’s “Project Runway” franchise, and red carpet designs created for A-list celebrities like Beyoncé and JLO, he can add humanitarian to his resume.
As coronavirus surged across the country, the designer launched “Million Mask Mission” to make face mask coverings for healthcare workers, police officers, and essential workers to help meet a supply shortage. Documenting his experience on social media, Costello invites his 1.3 million audience on Instagram to follow along the journey and watch the process. “This is for people to learn more about, coming together as a community to fight this PANDEMIC…and use our influence to shed light on how we can help our community and elderly who are at risk,” wrote Michael in a post. Since then, Costello has been giving back to the community handing out masks to healthcare workers, firefighters and USPS. Every sale from face masks sold on his website goes right back into making more masks to be donated. Michael’s resilience in the face of adversity has proven his commitment to fashion and a good cause. Last spring, Coachella Magazine chatted with Michael Costello over a live stream interview on Instagram. Read excerpts from our conversation here.
Helping frontline and essential workers.
We started a Million Mask Mission during the course of coronavirus and the state of emergency pandemic. When the president issued the stay at home and the mayor, Eric Garcetti issued to stay at home, we started right around that time trying to figure out how we can help to address this national pandemic and what we can do on our end. Given the facility and the machines that we have to start making masks and encouraging more and more people to start making masks.
As a fashion designer, I just felt so stupid, just sitting on my couch, watching TV and watching shows and, you know, ordering Postmates. When I knew I had the machines and I had friends in the fashion industry, and I know so many people who can, help with this cause. So I talked to the stylist friend of mine, and one of the girls that worked with me and I said, let’s start making masks, let’s start getting them out there. And we’ll donate to whoever we can to donate. And it turned out to be so huge. I mean, we inspired every single person in the whole entire Los Angeles to break out their sewing machines and come together to start making masks.
Transition in the age of covid.
It’s a total shift change. At first, we were closed for two weeks. I go into the office now and what once was a place where you walk in and take a tour of gowns and the most expensive fabrics and beads and crystals, and swarovski here and there, that’s all gone, it’s all packed away now on the table. What you see is yards and yards of like neoprene, scuba and elastic straps, and bundles of binding in order to make masks… So it’s totally been a complete shift change, but you know what, I always tell people, if we can’t do what we love, then we might as well do what we can.
Designing fun prints.
You’re going to see them in fun prints, fun colors, a really cool theme inspired ones. Coachella is going to come again and they’ll do something with Coachella mask. And you’re going to see, Neon Carnival come up with Neon Carnival kind of mask. You’re going to see more musicians, singers, actresses, collaborating with other brands on masks. I wanted to do something fun with it too. We didn’t want to just make a plain black one and a plain white one. We have a huge celebrity clientele, people who shop with us and they want prints. They want stripes. They want polka dots. They want a red and black. They want to wear them reversible. And like I said, as much as we don’t want to accept this being the new normal, it kind of is right now.
Pandemic Takeaways.
The one thing that I constantly tell everybody is, if you take away something from this pandemic, it should be to remember to be kind to people, just be nice to people and treat people how you want to be treated. That’s the number one thing to remember. Sometimes things like this happen and it’s so horrible and so sad that people are sick. People are dying. We can’t go and hug our parents. I haven’t seen my mom and dad for over a month. I miss them. I want to hug them. I want to spend time with them. I want to cook for my family. I want to play with my kids. But because of this pandemic, we’re actually remembering what it’s like to spend quality time with one another, where our bodies, our minds, our souls, our spirits are mentally challenged because we only focus on going to work, making our money, paying our bills. We need to reflect upon it and remember what it is exactly why we bust our asses off every single day and work this hard for it, so that we can enjoy the benefits of life and spending time with family anyway that you please. So, the one thing I hope that everyone can take away from this horrible tragedy that we have to experience was to be kind to one another and treat others with respect, and especially treat people how you want to be treated.
Web: Michael Costello