What’s love got to do with it? Everything!

David Josef: The man behind the masks

 By Nina Livingstone

Photos courtesy of David Josef

I read about David Josef, fashion designer, mask maker in early April. What I discovered caught my attention and I went on to learn more about his previous work, dressing up beautiful women such as Cher, Diana Ross, Cyndy Lauper … the list goes on.

His story resonated with me. He was sensitive, caring, with a philanthropic generosity and an infinite, inexplicable zest for his work — and the women he dresses. Clearly, Josef was delighted when a favorite client became a friend, which happened often during his 45-year career.

But more than that, just when the pandemic crisis slammed Massachusetts in March, Josef didn’t wait long before his ideas and his hands landed at the sewing machine.

David Josef’s designs continue to thread their way from Boston to New York City and across the nation – only this time the designs serve a fashionable purpose and a flight of hope.

So, what makes this man’s masks stand above the others? It’s simple. He’s Boston’s David Josef and here is his story.

 

How did the David Josef mask come about?

Here we are today, in the middle of a pandemic. At the moment of this interview, 98,545 Americans have died from this horrible virus.

I have been moved to tears, afraid, feeling vulnerable over what’s happening. But after three days of staying at home in lockdown I was bored and feeling helpless! It was when I turned on MSNBC’s Morning Joe at 6 a.m. on March 20 and heard the call for designers, home-stitchers, or anyone who sews … to get up and help with PPE, that there weren’t enough facemasks, gowns, and protective gear for our first responders to fight this fight without getting infected.

So Danny and I decided to go to the office, come up with a pattern, and make a couple of hundred masks for anyone who needed them thinking that might be enough. I had posted on Facebook the first mask I made with the caption that I’ve made a pattern and people were reaching out to me to get a David Josef mask.

Instead of making 200 masks and distributing them to those in need, we have made over 3,000 masks, just Danny and me, at my studio in Waltham. And we haven’t taken a single day off!  Today is Memorial Day at 6 a.m….. and we are heading to the studio to make another 100 masks that need to be shipped tomorrow.

We also helped my friend, Ann Russo, put together the finances and one day we raised $21,000 so she could have over 50,000 masks mass-produced in Fall River and distributed to hospitals, nursing homes, police, supermarkets across the Boston area.

Every wedding, Bar Mitzvah, and party has been postponed … it took me a couple of weeks to realize this. It’s a great thing to donate to everyone in need, [but] at some point I’m going to have to make a living again.

We have completely restructured my business now into a mask-making business. We are ready to unveil a new Facebook page for David Josef Masks and have been blessed with not only helping people on the front lines, but helping people stay safe every single day.

And with the generosity of so many friends, loved ones and people who want masks we have continued to stay viable, relevant, and don’t have to close down my business.

 

More about your masks?

I love my masks. I make each and every one of them myself. Danny and I will pick each fabric individually for the people who are requesting them.

They are made with love and care and they are made like iron. Each mask comes with a filter that is removable, a wire above the nose to pinch under your eyes so the virus doesn’t get in or your moisture from your mouth doesn’t get out. And I’m pretty honored to say that everyone who has received my masks, has sent me notes about the quality and how much they love them.

Ironically, now that everyone needs to wear a mask, it’s turned into a fashion statement, or dare I say a status symbol! As we get deeper into this movement, I actually have hit masks! The biggest hits of the collection are both my patriotic-themed and Marilyn Monroe masks.

Which of your masks do you wear?

With the thousands of masks Danny and I have made, I only have one for myself! I’m not really out at all. We go from our house to work every day at 7 a.m. If I should see anyone it’s someone coming by to pick up masks, so I put on my American flag mask run down to the car say hello come back up and start working again.

 

Philanthropic endeavors have been a common thread in your life … can you describe that journey and how this has coincided with your career?

I literally was raising money for charity when I was about eight years old. I used to open up my mother’s sewing machine, without her knowledge, and teach myself how to sew! I was doing all of this on scraps of fabric that my mother had thrown into the trash. But there came a day when I needed some real fabric to make some princess dresses for my backyard carnivals.

Yup…. I was writing, directing and of course, costuming and starring in my backyard shows. But these weren’t just run-of-the-mill shows, they were wonderful productions! I would donate all of the money I made to Jerry Lewis and his muscular dystrophy telethon. So my philanthropic work started with donating $15, $25, or if I was lucky, about $50 to Jerry Lewis.)

But what would I use for fabric? It was in that moment that I realized that my mother’s sheets were quite beautiful. So, I went into the linen closet, and used my mother’s sheets as fabric! That was a much harder lesson learned because that came with a spanking!

 

Do you want to tell us more about your mother?

I have the greatest mother in the world and grandmother too!  When they learned of my sewing, they never shunned me or told me to stop, that boys should be outside playing sports! They helped me and taught me how to do things the right way and nurtured the talent that I had, and the talent that they saw.

 

Your fashions have been around the world while you have kept Massachusetts as your home base. How has this influenced your career? Your designs?

[From the age of 18] I had been making custom clothes in my little shop in Lexington, Massachusetts. In 1980, I re-organized my business, moved into Boston, put together small collections, carried them on my back up and down Newbury Street and to any store that would see me, hoping to be able to get a sale! After two years of struggling, Charles Sumner on Newbury Street ordered my designs. I was finally in a store, and it was quite the store to be in! The finest store on that glorious street of dreams for fashion designers.

With that, I approached the Bonwit Teller store in Boston to see if they would also buy my clothes. After all, I had Charles Sumner. So why not go for broke?

Well, the general manager of Bonwit Teller loved my clothes! He set me up with the New York buyers to view my collection and within three weeks, my clothes were being sold nationally.  My designs were going to be sold throughout the Bonwit Teller stores in Boston, New York City, and their brand-new Kansas City store! I was national!!! I was on fire!  At this point I learned that as long as I had New York City representation on Seventh Avenue, my factory could be based anywhere in the world.

I found myself some great representation and I was off and running! Once I was in Bonwit Teller stores, and in their catalogs, every fine store came looking for my designs and suddenly I was in about 300 stores across America including Saks Fifth Ave., Neiman Marcus, Lord and Taylor, Nordstrom, Yolanda’s — right here in the Boston area — and every wonderful specialty store across America.

So I stayed put in Boston and never regretted that decision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was your first big break?

I’ve had lots of wonderful breaks in my career. The local Boston press was always so kind to me. But my first taste of celebrity, which changed the trajectory of my life, was when I was a senior in high school in Providence, Rhode Island.

My friends and I all had fake IDs, and we went to a nightclub in Providence to see Broadway singer, television star, the late Kaye Ballard.

To make a long story short, I was 16 years old, met Miss Ballard after the show, told her that I wanted to design a dress for her and she was totally cool with the idea of this young, bossy kid, making this request! Her response to me was on a Friday evening. “If I like the dress, I am leaving Providence Monday morning to fly back to Los Angeles, and I’m filming the Merv Griffin show on Tuesday.”

(For those young kids who may be reading this, “The Merv Griffin Show” was an afternoon talk show the way “Ellen” is in today’s world.)

Well, Kaye Ballard did wear my dress on his show and she spoke of me, a 16-year-old boy from Providence, Rhode Island, named David Prignano (that’s my legal name) and the entire trajectory of my life changed in that moment.

The next day, a TV crew from the NBC affiliate in Providence was at my high school waiting for me, which followed with a story in the Providence Journal. I was entering a new world.

 

How did you come up with the last name Josef?

It’s my middle name! When I started out in the Boston area in 1977, there was already a designer named Fiandaca!  I just couldn’t use my last name Prignano as a designer because there was already one designing king in Boston who had an Italian last name! Alfred Fiandaca.  About 10 to 12 years after my arrival in Boston, Alfred and I became lovely friends.

 

You mentioned Bob Mackie and Cher, then you went on to include Cher in your list of clients. How did that happen?

Life is funny. When I was a 15-year-old kid in Providence, I was addicted to the summer replacement show, “The Sonny and Cher Show!” I was drawn in by the amazing costumes that Bob Mackie made for Cher and the music and the theatrics of it all.

By now, I was a terrific stitcher…. and was making money sewing dresses for proms. All inspired by the looks that Bob Mackie was doing on Cher.

If you’re blessed, sometimes life comes full circle. Sunny Joe White of Kiss 108 FM, who was a dear friend, asked me to make an outfit for Cher as she was coming to Boston to one of the Kiss 108 parties. I did make that for her, got to meet her backstage, present her with the outfit, and start a lovely relationship.

 

More about Cher …

I recently heard from Cher because I produced a lovely knock-off of her costume in the movie “Mermaids,” for a dear friend’s granddaughter for Halloween.  An article ended up in the Boston Globe, which Cher and her people saw and she reached out with such kindness to the young lady who I made the outfit for, who has Down Syndrome, and she gave a big thank you to me.

I’ve had the honor of meeting Bob Mackie several times and being able to tell him how he was my mentor without even realizing it.

 

Your client list leans heavily toward television and music. Who are some of your most memorable clients? The most famous?

I’ve had many blessings throughout my 45-year career. Of course, my biggest stars are my beautiful mothers of the bride and grooms, occasionally moms who need to look a certain way for their event. I adore reawakening something inside of these women who forget how beautiful they truly are because of the day-to-day living of work, raising children, and keeping a family together.

However, I have enjoyed every moment of working with actresses like Tony and Emmy award-winning Judith Light. Tony Award-winning actress Beth Leavel.

I recently realized one of my childhood dreams and got to meet music legend Melissa Manchester and not only design her outfits for her 2019 Christmas Tour, but we also became lovely friends. A DREAM COME TRUE!

I also have become dear friends with legendary actress, singer, Tony winner, Grammy nominated Miss Melba Moore. I recently dressed her for The Women of Color Awards on Broadway where she received a Lifetime Achievement award. That outfit was one of the most spectacular pieces of my whole career! Since then, beautiful Melba Moore refers to me as her Bob Mackie. Which is incredibly flattering.

 

If you could design dress any celebrity who would that be?

If I can design anything for any celebrity who would it be? Wow, that is a great question that I don’t have an answer for. I am very content with the amazing women that I get to work with, and I’ve done so much for so many over my 45-year career.

 

You lived through the AIDS crisis. What was that like for you?

In 1980, when I was 23 years old I met my now husband Daniel Forrester.

Now that I am 62 years old, I look back on my life and see the amazing blessings that have been given to me. One of them was meeting Danny at the very beginning of the AIDS crisis. Clearly we both survived the crisis but lost hundreds of friends. And even to this day, it’s still too hard to talk about.

You’ve been with Daniel Forrester for almost four decades. What is your secret?

Danny and I have been together for 39 years. He was my waiter on August 20, 1980 at the Harvard Book Store Café on Newbury Street. I was smitten. I was wearing a sweatshirt with short pants. My sweatshirt had three penguins airbrushed across the front. Danny brought over my menu and said to me, “I like your penguins!”

Because I have been working since I was 14 years old, I never got into drinking.  My friends would come up from Rhode Island on Saturday night and I would meet them at Chaps in Boston. It just so happened that the day I met Danny when he was my waiter, I ran into him that same night at Chaps! It was destiny!

Danny and I spend an inordinate amount of time together — we work together and live together. I guess the secret to our successful almost 40 years together is that we genuinely like each other. When we fight, 10 minutes later we are laughing!

We really are a great couple together and that’s the thing I’m most proud of … It has nothing to do with my career, but that I have a really great marriage.

 

What was the most challenging period in your life?

 The most challenging was fairly recent. In 2007 and 2008 I was completely and totally burnt out from New York City, the economy going bust, stores not paying, my mother having brain cancer, and an all-around depression. I speak very openly about the depression because everyone goes through it at some point in their life. That just happens to be the time that it all hit me. It was like a black cloud was following me around. I had been mugged in the South End and had a cast. My landlord had sold a building that we were in for 28 years and I had 45 days to move out … and my mother was dying.

I went to bed for a week, then one of my closest friends told me to get the “F” up and start moving and pull my shit together. And she was right, I had to do that and I did and that is how I ended up in Waltham. With my wonderful friend and mentor, Yolanda, providing me with some space in her store I figured out what I wanted to do with my life and my career.

From those ashes I rose like a phoenix! But truthfully, the last 10 years have been the most exhilarating and wonderful of my whole life. I have learned what real love is, unconditional love by beautiful people that I respect.

Dreams have come true for me. Things that I have worked for my whole career suddenly all lined up and came to fruition.

From a simple act of kindness to my wonderful friend Mary Callanan who was an actress/singer in Boston trying to breakthrough onto Broadway. Because I believed in her and her talent 20 years ago and provided her with clothes and costumes for all of her concerts that I would not charge her for, when she made it big. And she did make it big on Broadway. She took me with her and I ended up with a whole new audience of fabulous Tony Award-winning actresses that I get to dress now.

 

What do you do to relax?

I have two speeds …100 miles an hour or off. I do not take work home with me, ever! Work is work and home is home. Danny and I get home from work, cook dinner, and relax by watching something on Netflix, watching the news to see what disaster is happening in America with this administration. And we both go to bed very early because we’re up at 4:30 in the morning.

 

How would you describe yourself?

It’s a funny question to have to answer… How do I best describe myself? I like myself. I like the man that I am.  I am profoundly disciplined except when it comes to my diet! I need to lose weight and get on the proper course of eating healthy so I can stay alive a long time.

I don’t know if it’s a surprise to people, but I am a very funny person! I wish I had gone to stand-up comedy. When comedian Lenny Clark thinks you’re hilarious, that says a lot!!!

 

Do you consider yourself a spiritual or religious person?

I am a deeply spiritual person. I have literally had miracles happen to me that made me into a believer. I won’t go into detail, but I know that a higher power, who I called God, watches over me, and guides me, and he has a plan for me because every day I experience the tiny little miracles that get me to my next dream.

 

A condensed version of this interview was originally published in the July/August 2020 issue of Boston Spirit Magazine, which can be found at: Club Café , 209 Columbus Ave., South End Boston; and  Cathedral Station, 1222 Washington St., Boston.