Mask activism never looked so charming!
Editor’s Note: The second in an occasional series focused on Lady Virginia Vintage customers and their projects using our fabrics. See the other profiles here.
Earlier this year I was thrilled when one of my Etsy customers, Meg Busacca, left me such a nice review:
This fabric is one of my absolute favorites! I am so happy with it, it really is special. I love this shop!
Who doesn’t love hearing that?
When Meg followed me on Instagram, I enthusiastically followed her back. It wasn’t long from seeing her posts before I could tell that she was a really sweet, inspired, inspiring person with a passion for design, for life, and for people.
Meg’s IG posts are always great fun, whether she’s featuring the latest in her GORGEOUS and unique handmade masks, celebrating life in and around her home and studio, reveling in nature, or sharing her contagious joie de vivre!
And so when I saw that she was using the occasional Lady Virginia Vintage fabric purchase to make her masks (among many other fabrics she’s sourced elsewhere), I knew I had to feature her work on my blog.
I was thrilled that she graciously agreed!
Meg Busacca
Meg calls herself an old soul, and it’s easy to see what she means. One of the first things she did in answering my questions was to cite the influence of her grandmothers, something I can totally identify with as I absolutely adored my grandmothers too, both of whom had a HUGE influence on my life.
As Meg put it,
I initially learned how to hand embroider and use a sewing machine from my Grandma, Shirley. My other Grandmother, Beverly, owned her own ready-to-wear boutique for 25+ years — so fashion and the desire to create was instilled in me from the beginning.
She also credits her parents for supporting her free flowing creative exploration.
They always allowed us to explore our own interests and to cultivate our own understanding of what we want to do in life. I always enjoyed art classes the most, from painting and ceramics as a young child to playing dress up and producing my own fashion shows — this creativity has just always come out of me in some capacity.
That early passion lead Meg, who earned a degree in fashion, to begin her design and fashion career. She’s done everything from from staging and product development to trend forecasting and editorial media. But since she was as young as eight she’s always known exactly what she wanted to ultimately do:
…to start my own womenswear brand, Busacca.
Inspired Designs
Anyone who wants to be a designer, whether for interiors, fashion, or products, needs to return again and again to sources of inspiration, to idea food. On that her plate is full!
I noticed right away on Meg’s Instagram these fabulous background items in shots of her studio. There were tons of awesome images and prints and little design elements on the walls that made a multilayered collage of so many beautiful and interesting idea snacks.
It’s those images, and other sources of inspiration that guide her many projects today.
I draw a lot of inspiration from film, books, cooking, nature, art, interiors — I’m an old soul and lover of vintage, so naturally I feel drawn to history.
I’ve always loved to hunt for antiques, collecting beautiful, interesting items and incorporating more rare pieces from the various eras to create something extra special. Something that feels unique to me — I’ve never wanted what everyone else has.
Busacca Masks
But in particular I also noticed a spirit of generosity in Meg when COVID hit. Clearly she could have just kept pumping along with her own plans, but instead also made time for giving to the community when the world needed it most.
I was in my Brooklyn apartment one morning in late March reading the devastating news surrounding COVID-19 and felt heartbroken and knew I wanted and needed to do more.
My cousin Sophia, who is a nurse at The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, was discussing with me that lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and how masks were so desperately needed.
Something *clicked* and I immediately pulled out my collection of antique textiles, began making masks from what I had, and donated them throughout New York.
That started a trend as people reached out to Meg asking to buy her absolutely darling and totally original looking masks for themselves and their loved ones. She ran with this, using a portion of the proceeds from masks that were sold to continue making and donating masks all over.
I’m honored that so many have reached out and purchased their Busacca Masks. I feel really proud that I’ve organically grown my business making masks daily for my clients while also giving back at the same time.
Busacca masks have reached doctors, nurses and children in need in Navajo Nations, California, Nebraska, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Connecticut and further…
The masks have reached a range of individuals, from the COO of Yale Medicine to a lead buyer from Hermes headquarters in France. I was touched to design a selection of custom masks for a client’s baby shower in Beverly Hills. Karlie Kloss even featured Busacca on her YouTube channel!
These moments of growth as an emerging designer are ones I will always cherish. But it’s truly been the most rewarding to see customers return and want to buy more — for themselves and for their loved ones in support of those sacrificing their wellbeing on the front lines.
We are all forever indebted to our essential workers and I am quite proud of this little community I am building who all have a desire to give back as well.
She deserves the success. Her masks are SO CUTE — they’re truly some of the cutest I’ve seen. She even sent me one which I treasured for the couple of minutes it was in my hands; my 25-year-old daughter promptly stole it and now it’s hers! 🙁
Anyway, I wanted to know what drove Meg’s design choices. Clearly her love of antique and vintage textiles played a role.
I’ve sourced a variety of special, antique textiles from independent sellers online (unfortunately with COVID-19 I’m not able to hunt for fabrics in store). Fabrics have come from England, France, and all throughout the U.S. with each one beautiful, rare, and of high quality.
There’s also this playful, impish, fun that she emits when she releases a new mask on social media.
She shows them off in these charming Instagram stories where she hangs the masks, with their characteristic reversible fabrics, accordion style, and contrasting trim ties, in outdoor spaces.
The effect of bushes, or the water, or flowers, or trees in the background, combined with the many different fabrics used in the masks, gives them this engaging visual appeal.
I told her it looked like she was having an awful lot of fun with the mask project!
I’ve absolutely loved designing the masks!
I’ve found immense joy developing the combinations while incorporating unique trim from antique Japanese jacquard ribbon to colorful vintage rick rack ties clients can wrap around their ears or their heads.
During such a bleak time, I wanted to make masks special and make people actually want to wear them.
But masks aren’t her only output. One fashion plan was actually temporarily waylaid but may be back in the works soon.
Right before COVID-19, I was working with a production company to begin designing samples of my womenswear designs, but unfortunately their business had to shut its doors. Busacca will offer more wearable items in 2021 and I can’t wait to share!
Like so many artists and entrepreneurs, she wears multiple hats in art and in business.
I also watercolor and sell a variety of hand painted art, stationery and matchboxes. (See the photo gallery for examples.)
In the meantime Meg’s Busacca Masks line was invited to be part of the launch of Over The Moon, an online shopping destination for all things weddings.
It is a beautiful curated assortment of pieces from artisans around the globe. I’m honored that Busacca was asked to be a part of the Over The Moon Community. You can shop my limited edition Busacca masks here.
I Love My Customers
It’s so exciting to see the many projects that my customers come up with. Big or small, I love them all.
And I love the passion we share for the many glorious, unique, charming, and wonderful antique and vintage fabrics and textiles out there.
Stay safe and healthy!
— Lady Virginia
