Coronavirus may have been why many people started wearing face masks for the first time, but they are quickly becoming a wardrobe staple. This is not surprising, as there are many fashion must-haves that started out with a more utilitarian purpose. Take jeans, which were designed and manufactured to meet the need of miners for hard-wearing work wear. Then there is the wardrobe staple of pants for women, who only started wearing them as they entered the workforce during WW1. These are just two examples of everyday fashion items that very few people would be without today that started out to serve a very specific need. This is what appears to be happening with face masks, which we all know have only currently come on the scene as protective personal gear. Face masks are quickly being morphed by creative designers into the latest fashion accessory that will likely be a part of wardrobes for the long term.
Luca Montaldo, the founder and managing director of CEO Consult, has been looking at how the fashion industry has stepped in during Covid-19 to use their knowledge and creativity to help produce much-needed face masks for both front-line workers and the general public. They have shown their determination to do what they can to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, with fashion designers and manufacturers donating face masks they produce to charities, starting partnerships with non-profit organizations and working in a variety of ways to assist.
Never an industry to stop creating, many fashion brands have gone way beyond simply creating utilitarian face masks to keep people healthy. Instead, they are not only creating face masks to cover our mouths and noses to protect us, but they are also creating face masks to cover our emotional needs, too—our need for self-expression.
Since the CDC has recommend that people should cover their nose and mouth anytime they go out, face masks have become a part of everyday life. As medical-grade masks that can best protect health workers from Covid-19 become harder and harder to find, ordinary citizens should not reduce the supply even further. Instead, it is highly recommended that the public opt for handmade alternatives. Although these masks are less effective at preventing Covid-19 than the surgical-grade ones, they certainly help to reduce the spread. It is particularly important to cover up as asymptomatic carriers can spread the virus much easier if their faces are not covered. In other words, a mask is better than no mask. In addition, the popularity of face masks provides an income stream—and employment—for those in the fashion industry, helping to fight the other side of the Covid-19 battle—the economic.
CEO Consult has been delighted to see the range of brands across the globe stepping up to help in the fight against Covid-19 by doing all they can to make face masks accessible to everyone. Some labels are donating masks, while others are donating leftover materials to do good while recycling. Here is what some of the brands around the world have been doing.
Colty
The gender-neutral lifestyle brand, Colty, has until recently focused on producing leather goods, but has now entered the face mask line. Their face masks are fashion statements, available in black mesh, black rib, sparkled rib, blue denim or cow print, and can be purchased with a matching jockstrap. In keeping with the fashion industry’s penchant for doing good as well as helping people look good, Coly donates one mask to Portland, Oregon’s LGBTQ+ centers for each mask sold.
Llulo
This brand was started by designer Michelle Olomojobi to reflect her African heritage. Llulo works with Nigerian local artisans to create ethically produced pieces that are inspired by traditional Ankara textiles. In addition to creating pieces with an African heritage look, the brand focuses on creating jobs and helping women in Nigeria to start their own businesses. Llulo has entered the face mask line, too, and donates 10% of the proceeds to local non-profit organizations.
Studio & Talia
The Russian label Studio & Talia, based near St. Petersburg, is popular among some of Russia’s biggest celebrities for its quality handmade goods. Studio & Talia’s atelier was among the few businesses that gained permission from the state to continue working to support face mask production during the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. Studio & Talia make face masks using geometric prints that match the label’s other goods.
K.S. Garner
The small Phoenix-based brand K.S. Garner is a size-inclusive label that is all about slow fashion. There is nothing mass-produced here. To ensure a perfect fit for all and reduce waste, they only sell made-to-order products. Their foray into face masks has resulted in masks featuring printed fabrics including butterflies, strawberries and cow print to reflect the youthful spirit of the brand. While designer Kelsey Garner notes that face masks serve a function, she compared them to glasses, which also serve a function and need to be worn often. As with glasses, why shouldn’t face masks also offer the wearers personality and style? K.S. Garner’s donations have so far included 500 masks for frontline health workers and fire stations. More donations plan to be made to homeless shelters in Phoenix.
Collina Strada
The label Collina Strada prides itself on being sustainable, and its face masks are a product of that sustainability. Collina Strada uses material from dead stock to create unusual maximalist face masks that feature contrasting patterns and elegant bows. In tune with the Collina Strada brand, their masks offer self-expression while providing a sense of brightness during a dark time. Their maximalist masks ensure maximalist donations, with Collina Strada donating five masks to healthcare workers in New York City for every one mask sold.
Lena Karnauhova
The Russian designer Lena Karnauhova has also gone into face mask production. Best known for high-tech fabrics, the face masks made by this brand use simple organic linens so that they are durable through many washes while feeling as natural as possible.
Lirika Matoshi
Lirika Matoshi is a New York City-based designer whose namesake brand celebrates effortless romance. In the same vein, her face masks feature beaded strawberries, embroidered daises or rainbow prints. Kosovo-born Lirika donates 100% of the proceeds to charities in Kosovo. At one point she raised more than $23,000 in just four hours, with the masks selling out. She immediately set to restock.
Boss Dog Art Department
The independent Boss Dog Art Department is owned and run by husband and wife team Mike and Sam McKennedy. Their masks are designed to give some light-hearted relief in these hard times by featuring phrases such as “Have a nice dystopia” and “Not today death.” They aim to make people smile while trying to keep their business going through these trying times. They donate 10% of their face mask proceeds to a fund that helps laid-off service industry workers.
Voravaj Varazatiravatt
Voravaj Varazatiravatt, the self-taught designer of up-and-coming design house VORAVAJ Bangkok, was designing face masks long before Covid0-19 came on the scene. The pollution in Bangkok had made face masks a wardrobe staple there for some time. Having seen a stylishly dressed woman sporting a plain, medical face mask, the stark contrast made him see the need for couture masks. His handcrafted masks feature intricate crystal and bead designs that require between 36 – 84 hours to make. Not initially made to be sold, his masks were intended to create a fun, unique campaign to show people they can self-protect with flair. He also wanted to inspire others to use their talents to make creative use of lockdown.
RTH
Rachel T Harris is an LA-based abstract expressionist artist who uses her art to challenge traditional art industry hierarchy barriers. Moving into the face mask area for her meant reusing her leftover dyed canvas and silkscreen painted fabric to help financially struggling laborers and artisans she had worked with before. Her mask venture allows her to give these people work to create something much needed with fabric that would otherwise have no purpose. Each mask is truly a work of art, and she donates 25% of sales to the WHO’ Covid-19 Response Fund.
Akese Stylelines
The Chicago-based label Akese Stylelines is headed by designer Jennifer Akese-Burney. From Ghana, Akese-Burney’s creations aim to inject a modern twist into the vibrant traditional African Ankara colors and patterns. She uses the same bold, high-spirited prints to make her face masks as she uses for her headwraps and neckpieces, making pairing a breeze. The fabric is pure cotton, so it is natural, breathable, and reusable. Being part of the solution was important to Akese-Burney, and helping protect women while retaining their big, bold, empowering stylishness was her solution. As does her brand, the masks aim to empower women through fashion. No wonder they are called Akese Power Masks!
Courtyard LA
The founder of Courtyard LA, Alia Meagan, wanted her face masks to be styled to counteract the way they hide facial expressions and inhibit communication. Her face masks are fun and made with the intention of reflecting each wearer’s personality. She aims to bring a bit of normalcy to people during these abnormal times. She also wants to lighten the moods of the wearers and the people they encounter. Like most designers, she also uses deadstock material, and hers is vintage, with her masks featuring silks and lace ties. Meagan, who had Covid-19 early in the pandemic, wanted to be a part of the solution and chose to do it by producing masks that will help to defend people from the virus.
Helmstedt
The ethical fashion label Helmstedt was founded in Copenhagen by Emilie Helmstedt. This label works to merge fashion, art and sustainability, and Helmstedt’s designs use vibrantly-colored, hand-painted prints featuring expressive brushstrokes. Like many others, Helmstedt uses the deadstock material from previous collections to create her face masks, which feature fun, one-of-a-kind prints. The proceeds are donated to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Zimbowties
The African-based label Zimbowties is all about using fashion to empower their community. They do this by working with artisans in Zimbabwe to produce their bow ties. Each handmade bow tie is unique, made from upcycled fabric offcuts. While they are committed to the environment through recycling, their commitment to their community can be seen by the fact that they pay their artists five times the minimum wage. Now they are producing face masks to protect their fellow citizens from Covid-19 and to raise awareness about it in Mutare, the small city where they are based.
Adriana Sahar
The Adriana Sahar brand celebrates the plus-size woman by giving them the confidence to dress boldly and outrageously in her creations, which feature wild patterns and vibrant colors that command attention. She has now moved into face masks, creating designs that are made from the same fabrics as her other creations, such as bikinis and gloves, so that the face masks can be paired with them.
Juliya Kros
Ukrainian designer Julia Perekrestova created the label Juliya Kros in 2015. The label’s elegant, timeless fashions are recognized by their asymmetrical cuts. After receiving numerous requests from clients, Perekrestova decided to start making face masks using the fabric left over from her two latest collections. To inspire more people to wear protective masks, her masks, which feature unusual details, are designed to be stylish and safe accessories for her garments.
Anne Sophie Cochevelou
Anne Sophie Cochevelou is a French costume designer who teamed up with Anthony Lycett, a London-based photographer, to create a photo series that explores how face masks tell stories about their wearers. Interested in whether masks can show a wearer’s identity rather than hide it, Cochavelou has been inspired by the Spanish saying más que a la cara, which translates to “more than a face.” She sees face masks as an extension of the unmasked face, an accessory like makeup or jewellery that can add another dimension to our faces. Approaching each mask as a piece of art, only those that are practical to wear are offered for sale.
PADI and Rash‘R
To do their part to battle Covid-19, dive training agency PADI teamed up with eco-friendly activewear brand Rash’R to create face masks that are made from plastic bottles that once polluted the ocean. They offer a range of designs featuring marine animals, including sharks, whales and manta rays. In keeping with their environmentally friendly approach, their masks are all reusable.
House of Hohwa
Based in Johannesburg, the ‘Urban-Ethnic’ House of Hohwa brand is known for sharing a unique vision through designs that tell African tales and dig deep into African concepts. Founder Kuda Matiza, who was born in Zimbabwe, has moved into creating face masks and gloves using the same vibrant prints that tell the African stories so important to him. His contribution to the Covid-19 fight allows people to be trendy while being safe. He also builds awareness of Covid-19 and provides safety ideas through his Instagram site.
Love Jozi
Also based in Johannesburg, Love Jozi is run by Bradley Kirshenbaum and Jacques van der Watt, who have been inspired by their city. Specializing in gifts and T-shirts, the Love Jozi brand now makes face masks. This started when Kirshenbaum and van der Watt created masks for themselves and their daughter using one of their Love Jozi tote bags. Their face masks received such a good response that they decided to make them for the public. Featuring maps of Johannesburg and Cape Town, each mask shows a different area. They are donating proceeds from their face masks sales to MES, a non-profit organization that helps South Africa’s homeless population.
Tumee Makes Masks
Small online business owner Tumi Seepe took up the South African government’s call for locals to make face masks. Her online business Sophie Online is so small that only she, her mother Tlou Mabusela, and one seamstress work for it. In answering the government’s call, she opened a new site devoted solely to her face masks, and this has given her enough business to continue to keep her mother and her seamstress employed. All masks on her site, Tumee Makes Masks, feature vibrant prints and traditional African textiles and are made with leftover cotton fabric from her Sophie Online brand.
