A couple in their seventies have shown age is no barrier to enterprise and launched their own lockdown business selling personalised face masks.
Semi-retired photographers Rekha Mashru and her husband Maz Mashru have started selling masks with the wearer’s own face printed on them.
Under the brand name “My Own Face Mask”, they retail at £12 each – or £40 for four – and feature an image of your nose, mouth and chin to show everyone who you are.
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The pair print the masks themselves after deciding to launch the business from their Leicester home to stay busy during the lockdown – which has been extended in the city because of a local spike in cases.
Rekha said: “My husband is in the vulnerable category, he can’t even leave home.
“Photography kept us occupied and we just want to get back to work.
“So we thought of something new to do, and we have worked really hard to start something.
“We will all have to wear face masks for a while and while “My Own Face Mask” performs the function of a normal mask, they are more fun and personal and truly show who you are.
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“It’s something new to pass time whilst we can’t work and it will help us to continue to contribute to the cancer charities we raise money for.”
Before the pandemic, Rekha and Maz were both semi-retired photographers, who originally launched their own photography business back in 1972.
They originally came to the 海角视频 as refugees from Uganda and Maz built a reputation for himself in the Belgrave area of the city, doing wedding, portrait and family photography and even taking pictures of 海角视频 Prime Ministers and overseas heads of state.
In 2016, Maz became ill with stomach cancer which, on top of being a diabetic and a heart patient, meant his career as a photographer looked like it was over.
But he rebuilt his strength and started to work part-time again – until the global pandemic hit.
When the lockdown came their daughter Rita challenged them to find a hobby and rather than gardening or cooking, they decided to address something that they hated about the pandemic – that face masks were hiding people’s personalities.
Rita said seeing a gap in the market they came up with the photo mask and have launched an online site at providing the personalised service which only went live a few days ago.
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She said: “My Own Face Mask was born out of a passion to show that faces matter. Something they had spent a lifetime doing.
“In fact, you could have different masks to suit your mood.
“They have now launched their masks on a shopify website.
“They hope that people will buy masks to show their true personalities or mood everywhere they go.”
Her dad Maz said: “We hope that people will help us create a new normal for us.
“Staying busy keeps us well and we feel we are doing something valuable.”