Textil-Unternehmerin produziert Masken für Private, Freiberufler und Firmen - CQ Corporate Fashion GmbH

Once purchased, used for months: Instead of disposable masks, Swiss textile entrepreneur Sophie Chiquet focuses on sustainability: She produces washable hygiene masks with filters for private individuals, freelancers and companies - also customized upon request.

Will wearing a mask also be mandatory in Switzerland after the lockdown? The Swiss textile entrepreneur Sophie Chiquet does not wait for the answer from the Federal Council, but acts proactively. She is opening a business for washable hygiene masks, paving the way for entrepreneurs, employees, private individuals and students to enter the new everyday life with Corona.

Cheaper than disposable masks because they are reusable and washable

It wouldn’t be a made-in-Switzerland success story if Sophie Chiquet had “simply” switched to producing masks. Your masks can do more: The up to 3-layer mouth and nose protection comes in a practical bag that can be used as a glove on the go and as a laundry bag at home. The set also includes a textile pen for writing on or decorating the masks, which can be an advantage in shared households, for example. Bags, filters and masks are washable at 70°C and can be used again and again. “So the bottom line is that they are significantly cheaper than disposable masks – not to mention the benefits for the environment,” says the quality-conscious entrepreneur.

Available now, with production in Switzerland and EU

With her quick actions, Sophie Chiquet shows that with solid craftsmanship, creativity and production knowledge from 22 years of entrepreneurship, even serious crises can become an opportunity. From April 16, 2020, the first two packages for companies, freelancers and families can be ordered via the newly opened webshop cqprotectiveclothing.com.

The practical mask sets are available from stock in Switzerland. If desired, Sophie Chiquet can also add a company logo or message to the hygiene masks or design them completely individually - one of her core competencies from the existing workwear business.

The hygiene masks are available in three different sizes so that adults and children experience the best possible comfort. Sophie Chiquet wants to continually expand her range based on customer feedback and the latest scientific findings.

No competition with the nursing staff

The sustainable reusable masks were developed for companies, freelancers, private individuals and children. These are “non-certified hygiene masks” that do not meet the requirements of FFP protective masks, such as those used in hospitals. Nevertheless, the hygiene masks are designed in such a way that they offer both the wearer and those around them good protection as the new everyday life gradually resumes. The certification has been submitted, but it may still take some time.

Time that Sophie Chiquet prefers not to let go by, but instead uses it with commitment: “Wearing masks has not previously been anchored in European culture. In the future, it will be a question of respect for employees, colleagues and customers to wear nose and mouth protection. The aim is to prevent a second wave and the spread of the virus and still slowly find the way to life with Corona.”

Sophie Chiquet: From Dior to workwear to hygiene masks – entrepreneurial agility for 22 years

She designed for Dior and Hermés in Paris, for Escada and Laurèl in Munich and worked as chief designer at fabric FRONTLINE ZURICH. In 1998 Sophie Chiquet founded her own company: CQ Corporate Fashion GmbH. Their uniforms and workwear are valued by well-known customers from the aviation, catering and hotel sectors, trade and services, industry, pharmaceuticals and banking.

The slump followed with the coronavirus and the associated lockdown: projects were stopped, postponed or put on hold due to the pandemic. No reason for the entrepreneur to take a forced break after 22 years. On the contrary: it began designing washable hygiene masks for employees, customers, students and families and producing them at its four production sites in Switzerland and Europe. “With the hygiene masks I would like to make it easier for Swiss companies and the population to take a safe step into life after the lockdown. Protecting employees and customers will remain a top priority for some time to come. By using hygiene masks, we can make a contribution to the gradual resumption of business activities and school operations without endangering the health of the population," says the smart entrepreneur.

About Chiquet Corporate Fashion and Chiquet Protective Clothing

Sophie Chiquet founded her company CQ Corporate Fashion GmbH in Zurich 22 years ago. The fashion designer graduated from the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, designed for well-known haute couture houses and luxury labels before specializing in stylish and innovative workwear and uniforms and further training in design thinking and user experience strategies. Your recipe for success: Sustainable quality combined with design and FashTec that combines information, orientation and identity externally and internally. Sustainability, quality and a high level of comfort also characterize her new business branch, Chiquet Protective Clothing: In the wake of the crisis, Sophie Chiquet is once again turning out to be a “pivot master”, a master at turning something good that already exists into something new that is currently needed , convert: (Personalized) hygiene masks and protective clothing that make it easier for companies and private individuals to return to the new everyday life with Corona.