Are You Ready for the Era of the Chic Luxury Face Mask?

Now that many of us are required to wear a protective face mask whenever we leave home, you may be among the multitudes of people looking for a way to turn this necessary new accessory into a way to express some style and personality. We went in search of chic luxury designer fashion brands who are now producing one or more versions of the personal protective face mask, and these are some of the best.

protective face masks are the necessary new accessory

You knew it was coming, right? The moment that personal protective face masks became a requirement whenever leaving home for so many of us, we predicted that the chic luxury designer fashion face mask would soon make its debut.

initially, fashion brands focused on first-responders

What we didn’t foresee was that the first wave of masks from the fashion community would be philanthropic efforts to aid those in need, both inside and outside the industry.

In the past six weeks, scores of fashion brands have volunteered their workshops and their teams to provide relief to vulnerable populations and medical first-responders. In many cases, the masks they made were never seen by the general public – they went straight to hospital workers and other caregivers.

Wave two of this activity, though, has focused on consumers. In many cases, a percentage of the sale proceeds of personal protective masks made by luxury designer fashion brands go toward COVID-19 relief organizations, or to support vulnerable populations across the globe.

the new wave of masks is not without controversy

Unsurprisingly, these new consumer offerings have ignited a great deal of soul-searching on the part of fashion writers and journalists, as well as the potential customers for these new wares. Is it appropriate in the middle of a global pandemic to make a medically-necessary protective barrier into a fashion accessory?

Or is it making the best of a horrible situation, and keeping fashion industry workers employed, to pivot to a new category of merchandise that seems to meet a real consumer need?

On balance, most people have concluded that purchasing masks from your favorite fashion brands will not only finance the production of critical supplies – it will also help keep their businesses alive in the midst of an unprecedented economic slowdown.  

Keep in mind that most of these masks aren’t medical grade, so they can’t be used by healthcare professionals. They’re intended to be used by average people who need to go to the grocery store, ride the subway, or even take a properly socially-distant walk around the neighborhood.

etsy is the mother lode for fashionable protective face masks

The New York Times reports that Etsy’s landing page has become all about the mask. The company disclosed that between April 4 and April 6, people were searching for masks on the site an average of 9 times per second.

In response, supply on the site has exploded: the number of mask sellers on the site increased five fold in the last week of March and the first week of April.

You can find masks made of silk, denim and luxury knitwear. Masks with sequins, bows, bold prints, camouflage prints, slogans and team logos. Masks for women, men and kids.

There’s even a Mask Club, which has licensing deals with beloved consumer franchises like Hello Kitty, NASA and Batman.

what’s the best luxury fashion brand protective face mask right now?

Now that many are required to wear a face mask when outside the home, you may be looking for a chic luxury designer version – these are some of the best.

1. KES

New York-based KES  is crafting fabric protective face masks – and the sustainable, washable pieces come in kids’ sizes, as well. There’s a wide variety of colors in 100% silk charmeuse, including black, natural, white, pink, olive green, and the cobalt blue print below. There are also 100% cotton versions in two colors. For every face mask purchased, KES will donate one to a healthcare worker. Note that face masks may require up to 10 days for fulfillment and shipping; as of this posting, the estimated delivery date is the week of May 4th.

 

BUY NOW $21.

2. Nili Lotan

New York brand Nili Lotan is donating 100% of proceeds from sales of its striped protective fabric face masks to NYU Langone Medical Center.

BUY NOW $10.

3. Eugenia Kim

Luxury accessories brand Eugenia Kim has begun making handmade, washable masks using recycled material from its Spring 2020 Collection. Five percent of the sales from these masks will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House New York, which is delivering meals to each of the families that are stationed in their institution.  

 

BUY NOW $20.

4. VPL

California-based VPL is making protective face masks from Japanese vintage fabric. The fabric is 100% cotton, and comes from bolts originally used to make Japanese yukata (a type of indigo dye summer kimono). The brand is accepting pre-orders, with an estimated two weeks to delivery. $5 from the sale of each mask will go to the Fashion Girls for Humanity fund. 

BUY NOW Pack of 3 for $34; pack of 6 for $66.

5. M. Patmos

The most comfortable protective fashion face mask is highly likely to be the one being crafted in Brooklyn by knitwear brand M. Patmos. The company’s Social Distancing Masks with Lycra ear loops (for added hold) come in navy, light grey and dark grey. As of this posting, the brand’s website notes that it will take 7 to 11 days to produce and ship orders.

BUY NOW $28.

6. Alice + Olivia

The “Staceface” protective face mask from Alice and Olivia is double- layered, giving wearers the ability to remove the stitching and add a filter if they want. For every mask sold, the brand is donating one to communities in need.

 

BUY NOW $10.

7. Collina Strada

Model Sasha Melnychuk engineered a special-edition fashion mask made of deadstock materials from apparel brand Collina Strada that fastens with bows and has an opening to insert your filter inside. Each mask sold will subsidize five more that will be donated to people in need.

 

BUY NOW $100.

8. Off-White

The Off-White Tape Arrow face mask is one of a plethora of streetwear brand face masks. While there are quite a lot of them, none of them are inexpensive. In a stunning show of prescience – as GQ and other fashion magazines have pointed out – streetwear masks were A Thing before any of us had heard the word “coronavirus.” Pop star Billie Eilish wore a sheer Gucci face covering to the 2020 Grammys. Wut???

 

BUY NOW – As of this posting, about $170 on StockX.

9. Phlemuns

The Phlemuns Cloud Mask, made in Los Angeles from cotton and polyester, comes in two sizes – regular and large. It’s reusable – just hand wash and air dry. Designer James Flemons has pledged to donate N95 masks to essential workers for each mask purchased.

BUY NOW $29.

10. Sanctuary

LA brand Sanctuary is offering a fairly wide range of prints in its line of Essential Lifestyle Fashion protective face masks. With each purchase of a mask, the brand has pledged to provide masks to organizations in need.

 

BUY NOW 5-pack for $28.

11. Reformation

Partnering with LA Protects, Reformation has set an incredibly ambitious goal: producing five million non-medical grade masks for Los Angeles’ most at-risk populations. To help fund the effort, consumers can buy chic basic black fabric masks in packs of 5. They’ll ship in 3-7 days after ordering. Shoppers can help further the mission by adding a donation bundle of five masks to their carts. 

BUY NOW – a pack of 5 for $25.

12. Citizens of Humanity

As COVID-19 spread through the state of California, Citizens of Humanity re-purposed its sewing facility and started producing masks for front line responders, including hospitals, healthcare workers and children’s advocacy groups. Now, batches of the 100-percent cotton gear are available to the public to pre-order in packs of five online. The company says that they’ll ship the week of May 4th.

BUY NOW $25 for a pack of 5.

13. The Mighty Company

The vibrant protective face masks from The Mighty Company are made from the brand’s fabric archives. The metallic fabrics were woven at a mill in France that is famous for creating many of Chanel’s iconic tweeds. Each mask is lined with 100% antimicrobial cotton. For every one bought, another mask will be donated to The Midnight Mission homeless shelter in Downtown LA, a homeless shelter and service provider that has been serving the Los Angeles homeless community since 1914. As of this posting, the company says that the masks ship in 5-10 business days.

 

BUY NOW $25.

ready for the chic luxury face mask?

Whatever else one can say about this phenomenon, you’ve got to love the creativity and energy that’s being displayed by the fashion community in the face of this awful pandemic. It’s a good reminder of the role that beauty and craftsmanship play in our lives in even the darkest days.

So, what say you, dear reader? Are you in on this? And if so, which one of these is your favorite? Whatever you decide, stay safe and healthy out there. We’ll get through this together.

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