By Staff Writer
In light of the growing need for personal protection equipment, a local company is getting creative with meeting the needs of the Westside community.
Montalvo on Montana Custom Shirts & Suits has been making masks through their brand Boos Boos LA.
Montalvo on Montana was founded in 1988. Esmail Astanboos, the proprietor, has been making custom clothing for over 30 years, and created Boos Boos LA in 2015, manufacturing everything here in Los Angeles. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Astanboos adapted.
“We originally specialized in making jeans and men’s shirts, but when the pandemic hit we used our material to start making and selling masks. The first week we had a lot of support from our community. LA’s Emergency Operations Center even reached out to us to manufacture 6,000 masks for the city. The first of our shipments were prioritized for Police & Fire Departments because they are made of a higher thread count cottons and presumed to be more effective by city officials,” Nader Astanboos said, Esmail’s son and manager at Montalvo.
According to Astanboos, Boos Boos was one the first businesses to locally and commercially produce and sell masks in the city, and so far has created masks for over 10,000 residents of the Westside.
“The fact that we sold to the City of Los Angeles is a testament to our credibility. Our masks are made of 100% European & Egyptian cottons. They also have two layers of two-ply cotton which makes them ultra-soft,” Astanboos said. “Our masks are reusable and washable. We are a beach city and known for our forward thinking green values and since it seems that face masks are here to stay, we might as well make them green and comfortable!”
Since Boos Boos started, they also have made a mask bar at the window of their storefront where customers can come and safely choose their mask. People can pay via Venmo or through their website and opt-in for the roadside pickup during their new hours 10-3 Monday to Friday.
On top of making the masks, Astanboos is also preparing a new collection of made in LA clothing, Boos Boos LA, with his older brother Naseer
Naseer Astanboos who also writes and directs under the pen name Naz Red isn’t just limited to fashion. He is soon due to release a three-part Horror Comedy film called “Debbie and The Devil”.
