As Many Fashion Designers Go Into Production
If the nobel coronavirus currently sweeping the globe is still news to you, then you don’t live on this planet. Every tom, dick and harry of all ages around the world has heard or said the word “Coronavirus”.
Even if not all of them know how pronounce it very well or understand the characteristics of the pathogenic organism, everyone sure knows it is responsible for a very deadly disease. They don’t have to know that the disease is called Covid-19 to know how dangerous it is.
You also may be living in a very distant galaxy if you don’t know by now that one of the ways of slowing the spread of the virus is by wearing a face mask. The jury is out on how effective the use of face masks are but there is a consensus among health care professionals that the use of face masks at least prevents an infected person from further spreading it from aerosols from sneezing or even speaking. An uninfected person could also get infected by breathing in infected aerosols. Hence, face masks impedes the spread.
Enter the facemask revolution. The essential apparel has become somewhat of a fashion item as people have gone to creative lengths to design or source out the design of their face masks. People just simply don’t just want to wear facemasks; they want to look good in them as it can be a bland item. Hence, there have been various styles, colours and materials of face masks all over the place. Some are apparently more effective than others.
Since the lockdown as a result of efforts by governments to stop the spread of the disease, the fashion industry has been one of the industries hardest hit by the economic downturn. There have been no parties or events, hence no need for people to source for new clothes. Apparently, there have been no fashion shows. Hence, the industry is kind of re-inventing itself by going into the production of various designs of face mask.
World leading designers like Louis Vuitton and Gucci have released their own version of face masks to contain the virus. Louis Vuitton has been running web adverts about its facemasks. The company has even opened multiple outlets in the United States to make facemasks. One of the designs of the Louis Vuitton facemasks retails for $200.
Gucci has also been churning out its own design of facemasks into the market. It features the iconic Gucci logo and brown colour. A lot of celebrities are also adorning these masks. One of the celebrities that have been spotted with the Gucci facemask is US musical star, Miley Sirus.
Back home here in Nigeria, a lot of fashion designers, tailors or seamstresses have also been making and selling facemasks using locally sourced materials. The price it is sold is determined by the material. There are lots of ankara facemasks in town. They are also other materials and designs here in Nigeria.
There are indications that as soon as this lockdown is over and this ugly experience with Coronavirus is in the rear mirror, facemasks will become a staple of fashion shows around the world. It is not far-fetched to imagine that models with be cat-walking along the runway in facemasks to accessorize the outfits they will be modeling.
There is a consensus that a lot of people will continue to wear facemasks in some public spaces even after this immediate threat is over. The luxury items shops will continue to have facemasks as part of there stocks.
Meanwhile, the use of facemasks is set to be mandated in some parts of the country, including Lagos and Abuja from this week. The use of facemasks is already mandatory around various places in the world.
–KELECHI OKORIE
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