Prince Harry spotted wearing face mask made by Oakland Black business

ByAndrew Morris KGO logo
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Prince Harry spotted in LA wearing face mask made by Oakland Black business
Taylor Jay turned her Oakland clothing store into a face mask factory due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has paid off by Prince Harry, or the Duke of Sussex, seen wearing one on Instagram with runners in Los Angeles before the virtual London Marathon.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- When the year started, Taylor Jay would have no idea that one of her creations would be worn by the Duke of Sussex. But the coronavirus pandemic has been anything but predictable.

Prince Harry recently wore one of her Champagne and Honey face coverings, posing with runners in Los Angeles before they ran a virtual version of the London Marathon.

Jay is one of the many proud, Black-owned businesses in the Bay Area that was forced to adapt quickly to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. What she originally envisioned to be a women's clothing brand at the beginning of the year, Taylor Jay Collections adjusted to start making masks, and taking orders online.

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The Bay Area native had hoped to run her clothing store on the corner of Broadway and 24th, with a packed calendar of events throughout the year, but a Prince Harry sighting with one of her newly-made products must be nice as well.

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When ABC7 News profiled Taylor's journey as a Black small business owner, she told us about her pandemic transition, assisted by a grant from the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, which ensured that her business would keep going too.

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