SIGN OF THE TIMES

The Fashun Face Mask

By Style Shifter

Posted 13^th September 2020

By Style Shifter

Note: this article was written before masks became manditory to wear in Melbourne.

From CIMONE in the UK producing NHS scrubs to Erin Robertson in the US creating face masks for healthcare staff, the International fashion community has answered the call to arms to create much-needed supplies for the world's frontline workers. ⠀

This has had a trickle-down effect. With a serious shortage of surgicalgrade masks, local designers are creating masks for everyone else.

Advice from country to country and state to state differs on whether or not healthy people should even wear them at all, which has created fear and confusion in some communities, to the point that if you wear a conventional surgical mask, you are viewed as being infected.

These designer masks, as well as being fashionable and decorative, are a direct response to that anxiety; signaling to the viewer that the mask’s purpose is to protect the wearer while extending that care to the community. ⠀

No doubt, museums such as MoMA @themuseumofmodernart and the NGV @ngvmelbourne here in Australia, will collect the best representations of this accessory, to document and mark this point in our collective global history. ⠀

The fabric for my mask was obtained from one of the ‘Fast Fashun’ events held during VAMFF 2020 and is a tablecloth diverted from landfill, that was donated by Helping Hands Mission for the event. To make the mask, I simply hand sewed the pleats at the sides and left enough fabric at the back to tie into a bow.

COLLECTING LOCAL MADE MASKS

By Tenfingerz

Posted 13^th September 2020

Inspired by Julia's mask article, which she sent through earlier in the pandemic, I began collecting local made masks.

Masks are now mandatory in Melbourne when outside your home. Even though I wore masks prior to the pandemic, for my own health reasons, I personally find them extremely annoying to wear. Like how am i meant to walk up a hill while at the same time ranting at a friend about the state of the world? It's exhausting.

However, I LOVE any opportunity for extra fashun adornment. So I've embraced the mask, beyond just having to wear one for law and safety reasons, in more of a 'this is a fun fashun thing to do' and always try to match one to my outfit. Brings me a little extra joy in an otherwise regular boring/stressful pandemic day. Also I get to support local makers in the process of collecting my mask fashun.

White with teeth print: Penny Drop

Green and pink mask: Obus

Green and pink mask: Obus

White with flowers: Nevada Duffy

Matching mask and dog jacket by my Aunty Cindy worn by Sebastian and Christofur the dogue

Bow mask: Fashun Chelsea

Bow mask: Fashun Chelsea

Pink mask: Moose Doll

Purple with sequins: Fashun Chelsea

Creative director of Fast Fashun. After leaving a career in styling and fashion photography, Tenfingerz has been creating interactive educational fashion events for the past decade. Now embarking on a covid related career pivot, releasing this online magazine while studying professional writing at RMIT.

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