Best-Sellers in … New Orleans
The Mask Factory | www.maskfactory515.com
Sajjad Malik and Irshad Malik, co-owners
There are many items sacred and specific to the Crescent City spirit. Mardi Gras beads, masks and voodoo dolls are just a few that capture the cultural essence and exuberance of the city.
The family-owned and -operated Mask Factory in the city center on Decatur Street offers these products, many locally produced like their artist-signed porcelain masks and handmade voodoo dolls. But what isn’t up for sale is the inspiring sense of love and support for the community that this business puts into practice.
“Unfortunately, after Hurricane Katrina many artists were displaced, their houses and studios were destroyed, or they simply couldn’t maintain the expense of keeping their business open,” explained Irshad Malik. “It was important for my husband and I to support those artists that were affected by showcasing this diminishing art form. In the hardest of times, it helped us push through and maintain a sense of local pride. By helping them, we helped ourselves cope.”
- Best-Seller: Feather masks, voodoo dolls, boas and feather hats
- Best-Selling Occasions: Mardi Gras, Halloween, New Year’s and the Sugar Bowl
- Carnival Masks: The long-nosed Venetian masks, large Jester masks and feather masks on a stick
- Halloween Masks: Phantom of the Opera, V for Vendetta and feather masks
- Accessories: Feather boas, wigs, tutus, beaded Cleopatra headdress and printed leggings
