Masks for This Medical Moment. July 7, 2020

Since April 2020, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has asked for people to wear face masks in public to curb the spread of COVID-19. This shift has given rise to a mass movement of cloth mask making. Artists have leapt into action to produce masks for healthcare and frontline workers or as an alternative economy for lost income, while others customize masks to communicate identity, beliefs, or concerns. Mask making has also raised questions about the future of fashion with regards to health and sustainability. Through a series of conversations, experts from the arts, fashion, sustainability, and medical fields were invited to talk about the variety of issues, and questions this moment of mask making and wearing have produced. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Ana María Rule has been helping the scientific community and the public understand the spread of particulates and the effectiveness of masks. Through scholarly publications, Rule has proposed ways of safely reusing limited personal protective equipment, and questioned the results of studies gauging the safety of textile facemasks. Rule agreed to speak in the Art of Masks series as a way to educate the textile interested community about the limits of fabric facemasks, and how best to protect themselves and others. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Fashioning Masks. July 20, 2020

Since April 2020, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has asked for people to wear face masks in public to curb the spread of COVID-19. This shift has given rise to a mass movement of cloth mask making. Artists have leapt into action to produce masks for healthcare and frontline workers or as an alternative economy for lost income, while others customize masks to communicate identity, beliefs, or concerns. Mask making has also raised questions about the future of fashion with regards to health and sustainability. Through a series of conversations, experts from the arts, fashion, sustainability, and medical fields were invited to talk about the variety of issues, and questions this moment of mask making and wearing have produced. Boston-based creative Erin Robertson has been putting her talents to good use during the COVID-19 crisis. Robertson has been sewing cotton face masks for healthcare workers, as well as selling some chic options on her website to raise money towards her frontline PPE efforts. In addition, Robertson has leveraged her celebrity in order to share tutorials and materials to aid others in their mask making. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Fashion and Disease Prevention. July 16, 2020

Since April 2020, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has asked for people to wear face masks in public to curb the spread of COVID-19. This shift has given rise to a mass movement of cloth mask making. Artists have leapt into action to produce masks for healthcare and frontline workers or as an alternative economy for lost income, while others customize masks to communicate identity, beliefs, or concerns. Mask making has also raised questions about the future of fashion with regards to health and sustainability. Through a series of conversations, experts from the arts, fashion, sustainability, and medical fields were invited to talk about the variety of issues, and questions this moment of mask making and wearing have produced. Accessories, like masks, are just one example of how fashion has been used over time to prevent the spread of disease. Alison Matthews David’s research into the intersections of fashion, medical history, criminology, and occupational health provides a comprehensive context to understand where today’s moment of mask wearing fits into the history of protective dress. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Masks, Art, Protection, and Politics. July 15, 2020

Since April 2020, the U.S. Center for Disease Control has asked for people to wear face masks in public to curb the spread of COVID-19. This shift has given rise to a mass movement of cloth mask making. Artists have leapt into action to produce masks for healthcare and frontline workers or as an alternative economy for lost income, while others customize masks to communicate identity, beliefs, or concerns. Mask making has also raised questions about the future of fashion with regards to health and sustainability. Through a series of conversations, experts from the arts, fashion, sustainability, and medical fields were invited to talk about the variety of issues, and questions this moment of mask making and wearing have produced. In May 2019, Kate Kretz skyrocketed into the international media when she was banned from Facebook for her now infamous MAGA Hat series. 1 (Figures 1 and 2) Kretz’s artwork draws direct parallels between known symbols of fascism, oppression, and racism, and former President Trump’s branding, specifically his campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.” Using counterfeit MAGA hats, Kretz deconstructs and reconfigures this widely popularized consumer merchandise to “function as corrective physical manifestations of the truth.” 2 In her most recent addition to the series, Kretz has created Social Murder, a critique of the Trump administrations management of the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Sustainability and Mask Making. July 8, 2020

Since April 2020, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has asked for people to wear face masks in public to curb the spread of COVID-19. This shift has given rise to a mass movement of cloth mask making. Artists have leapt into action to produce masks for healthcare and frontline workers or as an alternative economy for lost income, while others customize masks to communicate identity, beliefs, or concerns. Mask making has also raised questions about the future of fashion with regards to health and sustainability. Through a series of conversations, experts from the arts, fashion, sustainability, and medical fields were invited to talk about the variety of issues, and questions this moment of mask making and wearing have produced. On April 22, 2020, Teen Vogue published Yasmin Ahram's article “What the Homemade Mask Movement Says About Sustainability.” 1 Through an intersectional lens, Ahram addressed the scope of sustainability issues, including humanitarian and ethical considerations that are often missing from the conversation surrounding sustainability in general, and current questions of mask making and wearing. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.