In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and despite the incessant gloomy news coming out of the fashion world with anaemic sales forecasts, the titans of luxury and a handful of resourceful independent designers are turning adversity into opportunity with innovative PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) incorporating safety with a stylish edge.
“In January 2020, when I saw what was happening in Wuhan,” says Joëlle-Eugenie, a Fashion Stylist, Costume Designer & Creative Director in charge of managing wardrobe creation for many films and TV productions filmed in North America, “I had a hunch it was just a matter of time before Covid-19 became a global health issue. I remembered how the SARS epidemic of 2002 had brought creative fashion people in Asia to start designing on-trend masks.”
Fast-forward to mid-March, when it became increasingly clear the virus was already quickly spreading in Canada, and government started implementing mandatory measures of quarantine and self-isolation. That was the week Joëlle-Eugenie reached out to friends, designer Yso and booking agent Karine, to pool their talents together and start revving up Plus-Mask-Plus a new label of limited-edition masks out of Montreal.
“At the very last minute, before stores were shuttered by government orders, we were able to secure enough fabric and elastics to fine-tune our prototypes, reach out to our contacts to find vendors, and implement a minimal production process, with everyone working from home and face-timing meetings.”
Stylish, For Sure. But What About Protection?
The storyline around ordinary citizens wearing masks has rapidly evolved since the beginning of the crisis. In the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, bodies of government in the U.S. and Canada were adamant about emphasising ordinary citizens should not to wear masks for self-protection. Hand washing, social distancing and self-isolation were seen as best hygiene practices to avoid catching the disease. There was also a glaring shortage of medical masks, including the N95 which offers the best protection and is mainly intended for healthcare practitioners.
However, it’s now believed up to 30% of people carrying the coronavirus are asymptomatic, and virus particles are also thought to be dispersed in the air through aerosol. Translation: Wearing a mask when leaving your home can significantly diminish your chances of becoming infected. Hence, the U.S. and Canadian health agencies have backtracked and now suggest everyone wears a mask of some kind – including bandanas, scarves and even suggesting we make our own, in order to protect ourselves.
The fashion masks which provide the best protection for people who are going out, particularly in crowded places like groceries and pharmacies, are the ones which have an inner pouch to insert in another, disposable filter. “In Asia there are many types of filters with different qualities. I was looking into getting a shipment of PM 2.5 filters, which has four layers of filters, each one with a specific property,” says Joëlle-Eugenie. But now, because of international travel restrictions, she is still waiting for the filters to make it into Canada.
The 2.5 refers to the size of the pollutant in micrometres, whereas PM means ‘particulate matter’, the sum of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, many of which are hazardous and include both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets.
Harry Rosen a high-end Canadian retailer of men’s fashions is helping with the Covid-19 relief effort by producing non-clinical masks and donating them to hospitals in need. Each one is handmade in Canada using 100% shirt-quality cotton and is washable and reusable.
In France, Louis Vuitton has repurposed several of its ateliers to produce hundreds of thousands of non-surgical face masks. No, alas, without the iconic LV initials, as this is a benevolent effort for healthcare workers.
It’s not the first time face masks have been worn as a fashion statement. In some cities in Asia, where pollution levels are sometimes dangerously high and hazardous to public health, masks are a common occurrence in city streets. In 2014, at China Fashion Week some sportswear brands showed on the runway complete collections with matching masks.
And just recently, we saw the sparkling collab between Billie Eilish and Gucci with the logo-ed double G rhinestone masks at the Grammys.
As the pandemic continues to spread, it would be normal to assume fashion brands will start producing very stylish masks because people are scared but still want to go out. Some designers, like L.A.-based Maison Modulare, are already producing upscale items, like their triple ply French lace mask – already sold out at $60 each.
Vision Fuelling Creativity
Years before the Covid-19 pandemic was even a thing, some visionary creators set out to interpret what integrating masks, or the appearance of one, into our beauty and fashion routines could look like.
One such person is Montreal-based Anna Pacitto, an award-winning hairstylist and Artistic Director of Intercoiffure North America, who imagined quite the prophetic look back in 2018 for a hair show collection she presented at the Davines World Wide Hair Tour, in Parma, Italy.
“Yes, it’s strange, isn’t it? The concept of this collection called Rebirth was about ethereal beings (ex-humans), coming back to earth and being reborn after a Big Bang,” explains Anna Pacitto about her otherworldly looks with face coverings. “On stage, I had three out of six models wearing masks that were created by wearable art Toronto designer Xue (Shirley) Liang, who handcrafted the masks entirely out of recycled, organic materials. My mom, who is a dressmaker, had a leftover roll of white jersey which I used to make all the underpinnings. I asked Xue Liang to accessorise them since almost all her pieces are made from organic materials like pumpkin seeds, shells, and acorns she finds lying around.”
In Anna’s show, when the reborn humans come back to earth, they are clothed with materials and objects they stumble upon. It’s about survival in an era of uncertainty. Maybe a little bit like now…. No?
A more recent example is award-winning International Hair and Makeup artist Sherri Jessee, who felt compelled one morning in April 2020 to design a very special glam look with full-on crystals glued on the face replicating a mask. “I had been doing lips with crystals for a while, and got the idea to do an entire mask,” says the ebullient creative who crafted the look on her own face and took a selfie-— self-isolating, you know. “Since I was stuck at home and I was the only model I could work on.”
Makeup and the Mask
According to Reuters, since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Asia, sometime in January 2020, skincare products have seen an uptick while sales for colour cosmetics have been decreasing in South Korea, the cosmetics capital of the world. Which means consumer behaviour is already shifting to accommodate the new realities.
After the first weeks of enjoying the comfort of tie-dye joggers, silk pyjamas and velvet caftans, mainly makeup-less and likely with messy hair, we’ve all come to know that our usual beauty rituals definitely help when we’re feeling down and out. And now will be the time to create new ones.
So, how do you make yourself look and feel better when stepping out to buy groceries with your new fab fashion mask?
According to Ilham Jessica, a Canadian Makeup Artist for special events and weddings, “since masks will make us feel safer, it’s important to incorporate a new beauty routine along with their use. Because if you know you look good, you’ll also feel better.”
Obviously, in this new beauty context, the focus will be on the eyes. “Draw your eyebrows in and invest in the best mascara you can buy since salons, brow and eyelash studios are now indefinitely closed in Canada. But don’t overdo it.” In this new normal, the operative is natural. And pretty. Also, it not might be the best of times to go all Jeffree Star and pile up the glitzy, holographic eyeshadow palettes. “It feels out of step with the times.”
As for the future of beauty? If, according to current predictions, this coronavirus pandemic is here to stay with us for the next six to 18 months, or before a vaccine is safely fine-tuned and produced, we can assume beauty looks will be all about the eyes, as well as proper skincare.
So (for now) kiss those plumped up, bee-stung, injected lips goodbye. Unfortunately, your medical aesthetic practitioner is not an essential service.
