UNDERCOVER
UNDERCOVER
FROM NECESSITY TO LUXURY: THE EVOLUTION OF FACE COVERINGS DURING COVID-19
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On 11 May 2021, one year on from when the UK Government first advised people to wear face coverings in enclosed public spaces, the Westminster Menswear Archive opened Undercover. This exhibition, curated by Professor Andrew Groves, Professor of Fashion Design, and Dr Danielle Sprecher, Menswear Curator, explored how masks evolved from being a functional PPE object in short supply, to becoming an everyday necessity worn by millions. The original exhibition presented 52 unique face coverings, arranged in
| ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2021
chronological order, examining how rapidly the fashion industry adapted production, manufacturing, and online marketing to meet changing consumer demands. While these masks appear to be non-gendered, their design, marketing, and wearing reveal long-running narratives within menswear concerned with ideas of protection, risk and masculinity. Here we display a selection of items from Undercover, offering a glimpse of the wider exhibition and an insight into the Westminster Menswear Archive.
