DES MOINES, Iowa — King Au, an immigrant from Honk Kong and Iowan since 1979, likes to keep busy.
Au is a photographer by trade and does a lot of traveling for work. But when the pandemic hit, the sudden lack of work gave him a lot of down time.
"I found myself not knowing what to do, how to do it, whatever," Au said.
He was looking through some stuff one day, and found a little inspiration.
"I was just digging out my old stuff and came across a ski mask," Au said. "And I said 'Hey! A mask! This is it—just two pieces of fabric.'"
So Au got to sewing.
He started off by making masks for friends, and one for his local bartender. After that, he decided to expand his mask-making into a business, called Studio Au — complete with a website and Facebook page.
Studio Au has a few different styles to choose from, including designs based on the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones.
Au and his two sons, along with a freelancer he hired, work out of his home.
WATCH: Virtual tour of Studio Au
And this project isn't just to provide Iowans with masks who don't have them. Part of the proceeds made go directly to local food banks.
"I feel like I really have a purpose," Au said. "I'm helping other folks out."
Au first moved to the United States from Hong Kong in 1979, earning a master's degree in architecture from Iowa State University in 1985.
Given his background, Au takes pride in the detail and craftsmanship he puts into the masks he puts out. He wants his customers to feel like they stand out by wearing them.
"That's the whole angle; it's like 'Hey, I'm gonna celebrate expressively,'" Au said. "It's no different than wearing a nice dress. Sometimes people will say 'Wow, that's really cool, where did you get that?' What about masks? Why not?"
Au says his studio is now working on fall and winter lines, because the possibility still remains that masks will still be needed. He hopes people will treat the masks they buy as a reminder of what nature can do, and how resilient we can be in the face of so much turmoil.
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