KITCHENER -- The Luu family is taking what was old and making something new.

A seamstress for over 30-years in Toronto, Ann Luu moved with her husband to Kitchener at the start of the pandemic to be closer to their daughters and start an alterations business.

With plans on hold for safety reasons, the Luu's decided to go into the mask making business in the meantime.

“Usually I just do repairs and alterations. The masks are my first [time] to do it,” said Luu. 

According to her daughter Shirley Luu, “it's just a way for my mom to keep sewing which is what she loves doing and for us to have something to do as a family.”

LuuLuu Designs was born just before Christmas, beginning with silk and satin masks. With the most recent lockdown, getting fabric became a challenge so they had to get creative. 

The Luu family says they first started upcycling their own items with things like pillow cases and blankets to make masks. It was after they posted the finished product to social media that requests started flooding in, with people wanting to breathe new life into their old items.

A recent customer had a tank top and sweater made into masks for her and her family. 

Her customer review reads in part, "I dug through the closets and found some pieces I really liked but no longer fit. They took my vision and made it reality and the family and I love the quality of the work!"

“Our customers are so lovely, they are so excited to try these new masks. After they purchase we ask them you know how it fit, like if there are any issues because customer satisfaction is our number one priority,” said Luu’s other daughter Cindy. 

Their 2021 goal is still to start their larger clothing alterations business once it's safe, but until then, whether it's silk, satin our an old sweater; the Luu family will be doing their part to make sure no scrap of material goes to waste.