World’s largest face mask — the making of a world record
It is not every day that a world record gets made. It is rarer during times like these when everyone is talking of survival. And it is the first and probably the only time in my life when I am getting to witness the making of such a record up close and personal. Manish Tripathi’s endeavor to design and produce world’s largest face mask is not only super creative but also thoughtful. From designing for the Indian cricket team to bollywood stars, politicians and celebrities from all walks of life; Manish has now turned his life into a different mission — the mission of fashion for a cause and designing with a purpose. And this is the story of how he is coming together to set a Guinness world record of world’s largest face mask with 100 sq. m of cloth; enough to cover two football fields.
When COVID stuck and Manish set out to generate employment for rural artisans, he found a new found purpose in his life. Just as Manish, even the artisans felt enabled and became confident of managing their lives. Just when the artisans perfected their skills and started producing good quality masks at a fast pace, the news of the upcoming vaccines made them unsure of their future. While the world celebrated the evolution of the medicines, the artisans felt they would soon be jobless if people don’t need masks. Even though Manish started up skilling these artisans to also produce other products, such as shirts, he wanted to do something that lifted their spirits and bring the world’s attention to their skill. Simultaneously, Manish thought of tying together the culture of all parts of the country into something unique. Added to this was the motivation of re-instilling the importance of masks in the fight against the virus. And that is how the idea of this mask was born.
As is for passionate people, when the idea struck him; Manish lost no time in putting it to execution. He reached out to his friends and well-wishers in the industry for support. He found partners in UP’s Khadi Gramodyog, Wave Cinemas, Kuber Shoppe and got support from a lot of well known people from all walks of life. Manish’s team of committed individuals, some of them just working on a voluntary basis, is now traveling with Manish as he goes about collecting a piece of cloth each from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. His day starts at 5AM and often ends pretty late into the night. He is spending time traveling the length and breadth of the country, meeting people, gathering fabric unique to that city and preparing his artisans for the production of the world’s largest mask. Intricate and elegant Chikankari from Lucknow, vibrant and beautiful Phulkari from Punjab, colorful and eye- catching Madhubani from Bihar, visually stunning and soothing Akola Print from Rajasthan among other textile crafts of India will be combined and stitched together to create one picture of India.
His team of 50 people will get together and stitch this mask. The mask will then be placed on a hot air balloon on Jan 2nd, 2021. The launch of the mask will not just set a new world record but also put India on a global pedestal. The cloth of the mask will then be recycled into making other products and these products will be auctioned to generate revenue for the artisans.
As Manish continues tirelessly on this journey, his mind is already racing and thinking of what his next step should be. He wants to help the elderly and abandoned people on the streets. As he goes about his journey, he motivates several others, including me, to take the first step in making a difference. Manish’s passion is awe-inspiring. I wish him all the best for all of his endeavours and feel honored to know a person like him.
