Face-masks 2021: Fashion VS Need

If you had told me 2 years ago that I'd be co-ordinating a face mask with my outfits I would have thought it was a new trend gone mad! My face mask collection is a sector of design that I never though thought I would pursue, but it has been the unexpected success of my business so far! With the constant moving tide regarding our COVID restrictions here in the UK, it appears masks are here to stay,(Well at least for now anyway). However it is always a question on my mind, should protective equipment be fashion?

“ I think wearing masks is so new for all us, people are going to embrace them differently. They are practical but also make for a compelling reflection of our mood and personality." - Rickie De Sole, executive fashion director, vogue.com

"Yes, that's so important! The concept of making a profit on masks is really fraught. On one hand, people do need them, and these are the kinds of opportunities that arise from crises—but i’m glad most designers are giving a percent of proceeds to charity, or donating a mask for every sale, etc." - Emily Farra, Senior Fashion Writer at vogue.com

The Argument for Fashion Masks

Initially I was so hesitant to start making masks, as Farra writes it seemed wrong to push a new product in a time of crisis. To be making fashionable fun out of an awful time such as the pandemic. I viewed the masks as purely medical PPE equipment and thought not to get involved.

It wasn't until early summer last year that I realised the burden of the disposable mask. The discomfort of wearing then daily, and not to mention the excessive waste of them balled up in the streets and filling bins everywhere. I had been in conversation with an etsy customer, who had bought a laptop case was requesting a fabric mask set for her 3 daughters. She loved the vibrant Ankara fabrics, and said they gave her such a lift. Whilst I was trying to express it wasn't something I was making, she exclaimed how fun the case she received was, and if there was a way that she could persuade her girls that masks were also fun then she'd be all for it.

So that was it! I started making masks, and I was passionate about finding as many different print and colouring options as possible to make mask wearing as fun and comfortable as possible.

Through encouraging the design aesthetic of masks to be a statement piece, it seems to encourage people to wear them and consider them a part of their everyday wardrobe and less of a nuisance that they'd rather do without.

Now a year later and hundreds of handmade masks later, I only wish that I'd started earlier. I'm always looking for new ways to continually design and adapt the shaping and style of my designs to maximise comfort and encourage use.

Theres nothing quite like rushing around in stores, and outside in a busy day, and I catch someone wearing one of my pieces it still get me every time !