Now, designer masks make a fashion statement
Story highlights
Masks are already inseparable parts of our lives since now you need to wear it when you go to the office, you need a mask when you go to a grocery store
Masks are in vogue due to the coronavirus pandemic and its possession is non-negotiable. Now, a Chinese designer is combining fashion with function.
Zhou Li is making masks embroidered with orchids and camellias. There are also masks with Chinese characters symbolizing good luck.
"The fabric is all customized because the functionality of the masks is very important. You can see it is made of silk both inside and outside. We use 16 mm thick silk in summer and 22 mm thick silk in winter," Zhou li, design director of Shandong Sunbird garment company, said.
Zhou's company produces as many as 600 masks a day, and yet, she complains that she is not being able to meet the demand as people want more.
"In the future, masks will definitely become a normal product, combining fashion with tradition, featuring human health and protection so designers should be more creative," Zhou adds.
Masks are already inseparable parts of our lives since now you need to wear it when you go to the office, you need a mask when you go to a grocery store, masks are a must even when hitting the beach.
An Italian designer posted a photo of a Trikini which is a bikini with a matching mask meant to be a joke but the designer was soon flooded with orders. Experts warned us against not wearing a mask but they never said a thing about not to make them interesting and fun.
Brands across the world now are lapping up the opportunity with Gucci and Louis Vuitton wasting no time in adding their motif to motive. In India, brands are producing masks to compliment Indian wear with Ikat, Khadi, Kalamkari, Jamdani or Sanganeri, just name the print and weave and you have the mask.
There are also masks to match formal wear or your tops even masks with quirky texts but fashion aside, are these masks any good is the big question, and do they compromise with the quality of protection?
Mostly not, it goes unsaid they are no match for the N95 masks but most of these masks come with medically advised three-layered filtration systems. The virus, they say, is here to stay and survival of the fittest is not about letting your fashion game slip away.