We take our time to expertly hand-dye our textiles and apply high-end airbrush artistry to our designs with sustainable fashion practices foremost in mind.
Our motto:
“SUSTAIN or DIE”
I’m Grace X Lovejoy, artist, innovator, maverick, rule breaker and glass ceiling ANNIHILATOR.
This collection is my master work. Grace X Originals is an intricate representation of the full body of my artistic practice: From fine art, to tattoo art, to graphics and illustration on custom airbrushed apparel. My output is prolific and has all been painstakingly encapsulated into the Grace X Originals Streetwear Collection.
I share my work with you and the wider world in hopes that it will inspire, enlighten and empower others to live life with Grace, Love, Joy and a passion for equality, freedom and justice for all.
Welcome to ALL!
– Grace X Lovejoy
A “Slow Fashion” brand
According to Wikipedia Slow fashion, is a concept describing the opposite to fast fashion and part of the “slow movement“, which advocates for manufacturing in respect to people, environment and animals. As such, contrary to industrial fashion practices, slow fashion involves local artisans and the use of eco-friendly materials, with the goal of preserving crafts and the environment and, ultimately, provide value to both consumers and producers
We are a proud member of the “Slow Fashion” movement, a brand innovating outside of the box, re-imagined Streetwear styles for the new age and a more diverse audience, respecting all without ignoring where we came from – Mother Earth.
About Grace X Masks
Grace X Masks are a unique and fashionable garment for the face. Engineered for functionality without compromising style, we created a facial covering that is a pleasure to wear, because it’s how you face the world that matters these days.
We are inspired by the workmanship and ingenuity of Japanese denim and the durability of Levi’s and Wrangler jeans. Grace X Masks are a sophisticated protective gear option you can count on while maintaining your ability to turn heads.
The Story behind GRACE X ORIGINALS
In the before-times, Designer and Founder of Grace X Originals, Grace X Lovejoy, was the top special effects tattoo artist in the Hollywood production industry. Her unique talent to create totally realistic temporary tattoos was sought after by none other than Taylor Swift, Halsey, Zayn Malick, Chris Brown & Lil Dickie and Justin Combs to name just a few. She also entertained at events and music festivals for some of the largest companies in the world. Her secret weapon? An Airbrush and an engineering masterpiece – Grace X Stencils.
Not a Convertible? Really?
Grace’s unique skills put her into the most interesting situations. It was an event for Mongo DB in late 2019 that Grace applied over a hundred airbrushed tattoos in a Lamborghini. Whaat? It was not a convertible. Since un-ventilated areas are sometimes a part of the job, this gave Grace the idea to create a mask that looked great but protected her lungs on the job. As a recovered colon cancer survivor, traveling for work was a challenge to her immune system too, so Grace always had a mask handy for a little more protection on planes and in airports. She created an improved but rudimentary design and promptly put it on the back-burner going back to the fast paced work of a Hollywood makeup artist. 3 Months later the world changed with the coming of Covid-19.
The Pivot
By mid-March Grace’s Production makeup and event businesses were completely shuttered. She knew she would have to pivot. Grace worried about her friends on the frontline so she pulled out the first version of the mask and improved it creating a better mask than the paper kind. It had already been decided. Masks. Her secret weapon? A laser cutting machine. Grace’s airbrush tattoos were the most sophisticated in the business (TS back tattoo/stencils) thanks to STEM technologies. Grace added fabric cutting to the laser’s functions the possibilities became endless. Using the laser to cut her masks allowed Grace to build a full line of masks with a skeleton crew, an important factor during COVID with a compromised immune system.
What’s Unique About Grace X Masks? It’s a Functional Work of Art
Pivoting is an ability that comes as an advantage for a multidisciplinary artist and illustrator like Grace. She knew she could transfer her tattoo art from people to garments. In order for the masks to be worth the time it takes to airbrush she knew the mask itself would need to be a work of art. Grace made it her goal to have a truly unique artisan approach to the mask creating a protective face covering so special that it would be a pleasure to wear.
Sourcing quality base materials, 100% cotton for the linings and the best Japanese and American denims wasn’t enough. Grace, using her knowledge of indigo dyeing, birthed a 40 gal natural indigo vat and took up the art and practice of Shibori dyeing, the ancient Japanese art that is the Mother of all tie dyeing. It was then that the elements of Grace X Masks came together.
Construction is the most important element. After 100+ prototypes and 200+ days in various stages of shutdown, Grace did not stop until she was certain the product was not only something she could stand behind, but was good enough for her art.
There are 14 separate components, 12 different sewing jobs for each mask, it takes a sophisticated production line to create one mask. The hand-dyed lining and 3 dimensional outer shell are bolstered by an extra layer of machine-woven inner lining.
The three-dimensional shape allows the wearer to breathe more easily allowing more fresh air to circulate around the nose area.
Straps are a real source of pain for most people. Our solution is the lanyard style.
The One Strap lanyard style goes above and below the ears and pulled to the back with the toggle clamp. The nose area can be adjusted by simple pulling the straps above the ears allowing a little more airflow through the chin area. This style is great for those that have to wear a mask all day. When not in use the mask can hang around the neck.
The Two Strap Lanyard style is Even more protective giving the wearer full coverage over the nose and under the chin.
The lanyard style mask is also an option for those challenging ASD due to the avoidance of contact with the ear or the ear area.
We sew our Shibori hand-dyed lanyards from scratch finishing them with bronze aglets and hardware.
Elastic is also an option for those that aren’t bothered by it or have to take their mask on and off quickly. It’s also the option for those that are concerned over their hairstyle or head gear.
Pockets & Filters are an important feature for many people. We make our filters from 4 layers of machine woven fabric and a tight weave 100% cotton shell. Most of our masks are made with a pocket insert for filters. Our pocketless options contain the extra layers of filter built inside the linings for worry free wear.
A note about the middle seam- It’s fully reinforced with a filter guard built into the inside so the stitching doesn’t compromise the protective function of the mask.
This is one of the most important features for functionality. We created an insert for the aluminum nose wire. Why? They break after much bending. We figure these have about a 40 bend lifespan so we include 4 of these with every mask. We highly recommend using these to bend the nose area of the mask so that it fits the face properly. We do not recommend exposing the adhesive backing as that makes it difficult to remove and replace.
In many of our designs we use indigo to dye our textiles. Indigo has been used in various ways by various peoples for millennia. The care and maintenance of an indigo vat is a commitment and we made it happily. Why? Because it’s a really cool scientific experience that is like opening birthday presents everyday. Also indigo give textiles an antibacterial property that helps keep bacterial buildup inside your mask that can cause “maskne” . Cool. No maskne. 😀
Grace X Masks are a unique and fashionable garment for the face. We are inspired by the ingenuity of Japanese denim and the durability of Levi’s and Wrangler jeans. It’s sophisticated protective gear but it’s not hard to care for.
Prepare with a clean basin or sink. Fill it half way with cold water. Add delicate laundry detergent.
*We like to use a teaspoon of Dr. Bonner’s Liquid Soap but we also recommend Woolite Dark.
Step 1 – Remove toggles. Rinse in hot water for 25 seconds. (While it’s important to kill germs with this step but we don’t recommend exposing the denim to more than 30 secs of hot water).
Step 2 – Lower the mask open face into the cold soapy water while gently agitating the mask. Use a terry cloth or towel to gently scrub any dirt from the inside and then the outside of the mask.
Step 3 – Rinse with cold water. Rinse again.
Step 4 – Blot excess water from mask. Do Not wring the mask. Take care to maintain the shape of the mask by forming a ball with a dry cloth and inserting it into the molded area. Use a towel to squeeze excess water from straps, pressing them straight as you squeeze. Lay flat on a towel to dry.
Step 5 – Optional but recommended- Use an iron set to “Cotton” to press any wrinkles from face of mask and to flatten straps. Replace toggles.
This process usually takes about 15 minutes and the mask usually dries completely overnight. Clean your mask as many times a week as you need. We recommend sanitizing your mask with spray sanitizer everyday.
Finer details adding to the beauty- Braided stitch details on the edges, and double stitching with gold thread lovingly constructed in our Las Vegas studio
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Construction is the most important element. After 100+ prototypes and 200+ days in various stages of shutdown, Grace did not stop until she was certain the product was not only something she could stand behind, but was good enough for her art.
Pockets & Filters are an important feature for many people. We make our filters from 4 layers of machine woven fabric and a tight weave 100% cotton shell. Most of our masks are made with a pocket insert for filters. Our pocketless options contain the extra layers of filter built inside the linings for worry free wear.
In many of our designs we use indigo to dye our textiles. Indigo has been used in various ways by various peoples for millennia. The care and maintenance of an indigo vat is a commitment and we made it happily. Why? Because it’s a really cool scientific experience that is like opening birthday presents everyday. Also indigo give textiles an antibacterial property that helps keep bacterial buildup inside your mask that can cause “maskne” . Cool. No maskne. 😀