'Masks Are Kind Of Like The New Underwear,' Business Creator Says

WESTFIELD, NJ — Tyler Varian certainly isn’t the first person to experience coronavirus face covering issues, namely struggling with leaving a mask behind or forgetting to grab one on the way out the door.

So when Varian, a Westfield native, found himself at a restaurant earlier this year and debated how to avoid either forgetting his mask or placing it on a dirty surface, he began to think there had to be a better option. His mind began to race about the possibility of a face covering that was both fashionable and yet functional.

With no background in design or apparel, Varian — who has worked in event and production and finance — called his cousin Steve Mazurek, whom he had grown up seeing at family reunions and who works in production and costume design in Los Angeles. The two brainstormed and quickly formed a business venture, Wiseguise, and developed a four-in-one accessory that can be used as a face covering, bracelet, headband and neckband.

Suddenly, an accessory that was initially conceptualized using printer paper, tape and a stapler, became a unisex breathable face covering and fashion piece made from a combination of 600-count natural cotton, a polyester/spandex weave and chiffon came to life. The creation is, its designers say, a one-of-a-kind solution to what could be a long-term personal necessity.

“This is a great, easy way for people to protect themselves,” Varian told Patch on Friday. “We want to get it into hands of people in vulnerable communities as quickly as possible so that they have it for the COVID crisis. Obviously, no one likes face masks — we all wish they could go away — but they’re going to be here for a little while, and we want it to be convenient and easy.”

Mazurek was already working at home during the pandemic making masks for medical professionals. But it made sense to help to create a mask that could provide users with a multi-use product that could be worn for work, exercise and in every other possible scenario.

But if the new approach to what has become a necessity since the pandemic began last spring was going to make sense, for the long-term, it had to be highly functional on a daily basis.

“We started looking at all of the complaints people have about conventional face masks and started to address of those directly,” Mazurek said. “We truly feel like we’ve found the answer to every single problem people have with face masks.”

From ear tension, to eyeglass fog to comfort, the mask staying in place and everything in between, the two cousins took a solution-based approach to their first entrepreneurial endeavor.

Whether wearing it on the wrist, neck or head, the product quickly shapes into a mask because of a Velcro feature built into the design that allows the accessory to be placed around the neck and pulled up over the mouth and nose. After using it as a face mask, the material snaps back into place for its fashionable use by pulling on the two sides, which folds the material back to where it was before.

The portion that is used for the actual face covering is never exposed to the outside elements, which keeps it clean and makes it optimal to protect against the coronavirus.

The concept and research and development phase lasted roughly two months before the project moved to production. Working with local factories and others in Los Angeles, the two business owners were able to roll out the product for sales to launch next week.

The mask/fashion accessory combination retails for $24.95 and comes in 10 colors and a variety of themed options. It uses a combination of materials that is most recommended by health experts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The chiffon aspect of the design made for a fashion standpoint, which makes for a fashion-forward product that can be used by both men and women and that the product’s creators feel good putting into the hands of consumers.

“Masks are kind of like the new underwear,” Mazurek said. “I feel like everyone in America is wearing bloomers on their face, and we’re the first person to come in with briefs — what underwear is actually going to be in the real world. …it’s where style and function finally meet.”