Chanel scarf auctioned for charity

A Berwick tailor will be auctioning off a Chanel face mask with the intention of donating all proceeds to Endometriosis Australia.

By Jessica Anstice

A Berwick tailor will be auctioning off a Chanel face mask with the intention of donating all proceeds to Endometriosis Australia.

Hanh Tran owns a clothing alterations business that specialises in weddings, but since the covid-19 restrictions came into place, most of her usual work has been postponed.

When the face covering rule was implemented in July, she turned her focus to sewing masks.

“Since masks became mandatory in Melbourne I had customers bringing in their own fabrics,” she recalled.

“Fabrics ranged from pillow cases, dusk bags, clothing and scarves.

“One day a regular customer brought in her Chanel scarf and asked me to make as many as I could out of it.”

Using the high-end luxury material, Ms Tran made six masks, each with their own unique design.

“No masks were the same. I asked my customer if I could have one to auction for fun and she said yes,” she said.

“I decided to make it one of a kind and hand beaded some black beads on it.

“The logo was black so I just wanted extra dimension. I think the mask took about 20 hours to do in total.”

With all proceeds from the auction going to Endometriosis Australia, Ms Tran said she wanted to do her part in the fight against the disease.

Impacting one in 10 women, endometriosis is where endometrial-like tissue grows outside of the uterine cavity and can involve the ovaries, bladder, bowel and tissue that lines the pelvis.

Ms Tran said she feels there are responsibilities that come with owning a successful business and building a solid network.

“Endometriosis is something that sits close to my heart due to personal experiences,” she said.

“I can’t stress enough how underrated and misunderstood this disease is.

“Nearly one million women suffer from this disease in Australia but we all find it hard to talk about it.”

She believes it can be hard for people to relate if they have not experienced it themselves.

“Like a bad headache, the flu or a broken limb where people can relate and empathise,” she explained.

“It causes severe pain, infertility, and quality of life. With endo, because no one understands it or experiences it the individual can feel lonely, depressed and constantly grieving.

“Pain is inconsistent, debilitating and you cannot escape it. For some, painkillers do not work. For others they are constantly living on meds.

“That’s no quality of life and no one should have to live with this.”

At first, Ms Tran said the mask action was a fun thought, but through this, she hopes to raise more awareness of endometriosis.

Artistic Styling Clothing Alterations teamed up with Fabian Sanelli from EYS Auctions who has offered to host the event.

“It could be your daughter, your sister, your mother, your girlfriend or your best friend,” she added.

“Understanding what they are going through is the best thing you can do for them.

“The mask can also be symbolic as to ‘end the silence’ when we get to take these masks off.”

The team at Artistic Styling Clothing Alterations will be going live on Zoom on Wednesday 7 October from 7pm to 8pm for the auction.

Register your interest by emailing artisticstyling2@gmail.com.