BEAUTY+FASHION
A
by Angela Velasquez
Among the unexpected twist and turns of 2020 is the mainstreaming of face masks in the Western part of the world. Manufacturing for medical and non-medical masks, or personal protective equipment (PPE), swept across the global industry beginning in March as companies like Prada, Mother Denim, Gucci, Citizens of Humanity and more halted regular production or shifted their resources to produce masks for COVID-19 first responders and the general public.
For some, incorporating a fashion and personal element to PPE is one way to help cope with and humanize this new reality. “The average person understands that COVID-19 will be with us at least until a vaccine is developed and widely spread, so we expect to see face masks in the assortments for the next 12-18 months,” said Benjamin Ayer, founder of the new fashion trend forecasting firm Benjamin Bellwether. Searches for non-medical face masks remain high, according to global fashion search platform Lyst. Searches increased 510 percent since the beginning of the year to the start of May. As an alternative to face masks, page views for scarves are also up when the seasonal demand for the category would normally be much lower.
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JUL+AUG 2020 l ISSUE No. 01
A series of contradicting studies and guidelines and the fragmented reopening of states and cities in the U.S. has led to debates about the effectiveness of PPE. For some, wearing or not wearing a face mask even signifies their political views. But as states with initially low numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases begin to see the contagion spread, the latest statistics serves as a reminder that PPE is part of the “new normal.”
