Larchmont-based Buck Mason announced last week that it has shifted a portion of its domestic and import manufacturing capacity to producing non-medical face masks to help in the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Co-founder Sasha Koehn confirmed the masks were designed right here on Larchmont.
“Yes, they were, but we’re building masks in real time – so they are not a fashion piece. Its purpose is to protect, and we cannot really guarantee color or design at this point,” Koehn told the Buzz.  Currently the Buck mason office and store on Larchmont are closed, but its operation continues remotely and purchases can be made online.
“By increasing quantities of non-medical face masks for civilians, we aim to help ensure that there are enough medical-grade N-95 masks available to the healthcare and essential workers who need them most,” read a post on the company’s website announcing the program.
“Our goal is to produce a million washable prevention face masks with antimicrobial layers to provide to our communities in California and the rest of the country. Our first production run of 10,000 will be finished within two weeks and ready for distribution shortly thereafter,” says the company’s website.
Buck Mason is also making face mask packs available for pre-order on its website, where customers can support the cause by purchasing masks for their own use or donating a pack to those in need.
The company commits on its website that, “For every mask we sell on the website, we will also be donating a mask to those on the frontlines.”
The company is currently poised to donate 50,000 masks. We ordered some last week! Here’s the link if you are interested in supporting their effort. The Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) has recommended wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission, unfortunately, like Los Angeles.
