Chicago Reader

Stop the Spread in Style

Local designers are creating fashion face masks to keep you safe.

By Brianna Wellen
May 05, 2020

The protective garment that can literally brighten your day!

Fashion, for many, is all about fantasy. In normal circumstances, this week we would have spent several days picking apart the outrageous outfits of celebrities attending the Met Gala (the theme would have been About Time: Fashion and Duration). But instead, at least here in Illinois, we're left to contemplate a future with a mandatory, less-than-fantastical item: the face mask. 

"The face mask is the it accessory of 2020," says Gaudy God designer Matt Kasin. "We've seen entertainers wearing and designers showing face coverings over the past year. This is an example of a style/trend becoming a necessity." 

As of May 1, Illinoisians are required to wear a face-covering in any place where they might not be able to maintain a six-foot distance. While the mandate certainly brings to mind a dystopian landscape filled with surgical masks, to local designers it brings an opportunity to create something new, support themselves and others out of work, and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Click here for full article