New balaclava brand Msmaskie opens Instagram shop

London College of Communications student, Mariah Rose Turner, 19, has launched an Instagram shop to sell her handmade balaclavas in response to increasing demand from her followers.

Turner launched the shop on December 14. She aims to make the majority of her pieces from ethically sourced, second-hand, sustainable materials, including thrifted sweaters, but admits that using new, custom fabrics, “makes it a little more fun,” and gives her more freedom with the design.

She adds: “What really makes me excited is when people I don’t know personally want to buy them.”

The Media Communications student constructed her first balaclava on a friend’s floor in what she described as a sudden burst of inspiration. The designer says she was pleasantly surprised to find that strangers not only wished to purchase her creations but compared them to the works of legendary designers such as Raf Simmons and Vivienne Westwood.

Through stories and posts on her personal Instagram page @rozedr3amz, Turner has already racked up 20 sales. She has also established an Instagram shop exclusively for her growing brand which she has named ‘Msmaskie’.

The name comes from her lifelong romance with masks. She said, “I’ve always been into masks. I found the nickname ‘Lilmaskie’ written on one of my old shoes. I wear masks all the time, just with more holes and less face than my balaclavas.”

In the future, the designer has plans to add a shopping page to her personal website rozedreamz.com where both customizable and pre-made balaclavas will be available.

From £30, Msmaskie balaclavas are pre or custom designed with various embellishments such as button closures or embroidered words, phrases, or images.

Mariah Turner in Msmaskie