Are Masks the Future of Fashion?
Natalia Fedner is exploring the zeitgeist of masks – and society’s reaction to this now omnipresent accessory, both positive and negative. She designed a copper chain mask that can be worn alone or over a fabric mask. The concept is that of “protection” – channelled through the chainmail-like, patent-pending material, made from anti-microbial copper. The mask provides no viral protection but mimics the concept of medieval protection: armor. By using copper, she shows how you can call something anti-microbial, without it actually offering any protection – a reference to all the false claims and imperfect designs currently flooding the market. Looking toward the future, Natalia designed the mask to convert into a necklace. She sees the trend of masks – and society’s current obsession with them – as temporary. By making the mask convertible, she creates a permanent solution to a temporary trend. For each couture art mask sold, Fedner donates 50 surgical masks to nursing homes in need of PPE.