The designer adds elegant masks to fashion work

Dallas-area fashion designer Texarkana-born Brandon Norman thought that two weeks before his day job could be relaxing, but now he’s full-time busy making a staple: masks.

Norman works as a modification specialist at Molly’s Bridal Closet in downtown Dallas, but he also runs his own fashion business, Duhbuhlyoo, which focuses on custom formal wear such as prom dresses.

Norman has a long history of artistic and design prowess, so he takes advantage of this to create useful and fashionable cotton masks for all those who want to buy them, with unique designs, whether sports with a Dallas Cowboys theme or an African print theme or more.

In this time of a coronavirus pandemic, all the common people who are looking to add a protective measure to nurses on the front lines of intensive care have bought Norman masks since he started making them last Saturday.

The designer also aims to match these purchases by donating masks to a Texarkana organization in need of help. He does not yet know who it will be, but he is considering local hospitals or emergency care centers.

“Initially, I hadn’t planned to do that,” admits Norman, but a friend suggested that he make a mask, post it online and see what happens. “Overnight, I had over 20 inquiries. They wanted masks in large numbers. It literally started on Saturday. It hasn’t even been a week.”

On average, he receives five to ten requests per hour and since he started, he has made between 350 and 400 masks. Buyers come from across the country, including pandemic hotspots.

“I had people buying from New York, Brooklyn and the Bronx. And I shipped yesterday to Oakland, California. I had three in Los Angeles and I’m talking to a lady from Nebraska in a hospital. speak to her manager to see if she can get a large shipment to Nebraska hospitals, “said Norman.

Some buyers are people who want a little protection. A Texas police officer sought out masks for the department. He does not promote these masks to save the carrier of the coronavirus.

“I’m just doing something stylish to keep you safe, a little bit,” said Norman.

His work allowed the workers to go home for two weeks and the next day he started. “It has kept me busy ever since,” he said. He thought free time could help him prepare for prom season, but no luck. These dresses are largely on hold now.

“It has been the busiest I’ve ever seen,” said Norman. No downtime for him.

As for these prom dresses, it is an uncertain situation, he said. He made one for a March ball. Some balls are canceled, while others are in the air. “It’s a strange situation right now,” said Norman. As for clothing, it will begin its third official year of work.

Mask orders range from two or three to 10 or a dozen or more. Some customers are specific about what they want, but he has to work with what he finds with materials and resources. It is limited in a pandemic. The outer layer of the mask is ordinary cotton, and for the inner layer it mainly uses a medium weight fusible fabric which acts as a stabilizer.

“It is closest to getting to the N95 to be sure to use,” said Norman. The inner layer acts as a filtration fabric. His masks are washable.

Norman spread the word via Facebook. It has two pages under the names of Be Norman (his personal account) and Duhbuhlyoo (his professional fashion account).

The masks are sold as follows: one for $ 15, two for $ 20 and three for $ 25 with something more at $ 9 each. Orders can be placed via email, [email protected]

He will associate the sale of masks with a donation. He would like to hear from an organization here in Texarkana that may need donated masks. “I feel that masks are more beneficial than money at this point,” said Norman.

(More information: [email protected] Or find Brandon Norman’s personal or business pages on Facebook, names mentioned above.)