Mask Envy
This story is part of our new series Mask Envy, where we showcase San Franciscans’ creativity and take a look at some of the coolest masks spotted around the city. Have a look you want to submit? Email info@thebolditalic.com.
When it comes to mask-wearing, sure, you could grab a blue, disposable one and call it a day. But, boring. If there’s anything we’re learning from this series, it’s that San Franciscans hate boring and love a unique mask moment. And what better way to go unique than to order one custom.
Turns out you can do that through SF company New Skool, which will freehand or stencil airbrush whatever you want on your mask, whether that’s the SF skyline, a certain pattern, or your cute little dog’s face.
We caught up with New Skool Founder Nate Tan to hear more about his company and its masks.
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TBI: Hey Nate! Tell us about yourself.
Nate Tan: I’m the owner of San Francisco-based clothing line New Skool. I grew up in the Bay Area and was lucky to be a part of the emerging ’80s hip-hop scene. In 1987 as a teenager, I started painting large-scale graffiti murals as a member of the Master Piece Creators aka MPC Crew. Today our work has been featured in art history books, documentaries, and galleries on the subject of aerosol art.
After high school I continued on a creative path opening an airbrush business in 1990, graduating from SF State University with a design and industry degree in 1994, and spent about 10 years working as a graphic designer. In 2004 with a new baby and being laid off from my corporate job, I started New Skool. I wanted to create something for new parents like me who didn’t want the same old school style of kid’s clothing. After 16 years in business, we have expanded to adult sizes, accessories, art prints/cards, and most recently masks! Although we have sold across the U.S. and internationally, we pride ourselves on working with independent, family-owned boutiques.
How did you decide to get into making masks and what has that process been like?
At the very beginning of Covid, I was teetering on the idea of making New Skool masks. After only a few weeks I knew I had to at least test out a few designs. I already had a solid line of Bay Area inspired graphics so I sourced a comfortable, 100% cotton mask locally and started with a tiny print run of my two most popular graphics. Without even having my first batch back, I posted my mock-ups on social media and quickly had to double my order… a few times. I am really grateful for all of the support with our masks. It gave me confirmation to continue my efforts with our online presence and I was also able to donate masks to some local businesses for their staff and schools for their annual fundraisers.
Fill us in on your custom airbrushed mask in particular — how do you make that?
My business plan for 2020 included reviving my old love for airbrushing but little did I know it would be for creating custom masks. Once my screen- printed masks took off I started receiving inquiries about custom designs. Airbrushing is perfect for this. I slowly started releasing new designs like the SF skyline, pride, camo, graffiti arrow design, and more. I even did some masks with people’s faces on them! I custom airbrush each mask one at a time freehand or by using a few hand-cut stencils. I then heat set it and package them up for shipping all from my home studio.
How can we get one of your masks? Because I definitely need a mask with my dog’s face airbrushed on it.
You can purchase my masks directly from my website in the “masks and accessories” section. You can also follow our Instagram @newskoolsf to see the latest in masks, apparel, and art. Thank you to The Bold Italic and San Francisco for supporting local businesses!
