Face Masks: The Most Responsible Fashion Statement
Fashion is all about owning it, since we can’t get rid of masks in the near future, we must make it part of our aesthete.
Apart from the mask hating cults, most of us have come to terms with wearing masks on a daily basis. Evening walks, grocery shopping or office visits no matter for how short or long period, stepping out of the house without wearing a mask is pure negligence. If these masks are going to be part of our lives anyway, then why not wear them in style? Thanks to the capitalist venture born out of our crisis, several big brands and fashion designers have come up with face mask designs which range from being a sartorial piece of art to overpriced ineffective textile. This has also sparked a debate if masks should at all be treated as a fashion statement. Even though the intention behind saving the world from capitalist mindset is well placed but let’s be honest there has hardly been any crisis that hasn’t given birth to new commodities. That being said this new mask fashion can also be seen as a revival of the fashion industry after the pandemic. Especially since the medical experts recommend the effectiveness of cloth masks over N95s and other pharmacy made masks, the fashion industry can step in to make a variety of reusable cloth protection.
The makers
Remant Kumar Mishra, a Madhubani artist from Bihar recently got viral on the internet for his assorted collection of hand-painted face masks. Reportedly, his business skyrocketed after people in huge numbers started calling him from all over India. Other Indian fashion brands who have newly positioned themselves in designer mask-making at premium and affordable prices include House of Masaba, Shivan and Narresh, Fabindia, Anita Dongre and many others. Even Sabyasachi Mukherjee who earlier declared designer masks to be obnoxious has joined the league by providing extra cloth with his bridal couture wear. Couples who can’t wait to tie the knot are opting for designer face masks made with the same cloth as their wedding attire.
International brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci have also been making face masks for the frontline workers and custom pieces for selective customers. Apart from these, Forbes listed above 30 luxury brands worldwide that are now making face masks.
History of mouth covering
For many East Asian countries, wearing a mask has been normalized for many years. Motivated by the polluted environment and diseases spread in the past it is backed by the traditional Chinese medicine which states breathing is the central element to good health. The people of Hong Kong also have political reasons to wear masks. Even outside of East Asia, in the last few years, masks were slowly gaining popularity due to the growing pollution. Manish Arora, a designer, collaborated with an anti-pollution mask-making brand called Vogmask back in 2016. We can’t forget the smog situation in New Delhi post-Diwali which also gave us enough reasons to buy face masks.
Un-Masking
Where our mornings used to start with greetings from neighbours, friends and coworkers is now simply reduced to head nods (or nothing). Living behind a piece of cloth can be a bit lonely for some. Maybe that is why designer Danielle Baskin came up cotton masks with people’s face printed on them. If you don’t want to wear a mask with your face on it, you can also go for stock images and famous meme faces. Imagine people enjoying a good laugh by just looking at your Salt Bae face!
Masks to Buy
- House of Masaba: ₹750
- Levi’s: under ₹500
- Payal Singhal: ₹795
- Shivan & Narresh: ₹2,150
From the August 2020 issue of FHM India.
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