Face masks came roaring into vogue this year, first due to smoke from the Australian bushfires, then due to the global coronavirus pandemic. While the accessories have been common in Asian countries for a long time, 2020 saw them widely adopted internationally as health issues dominated the news cycle.
Though face masks are primarily tools for protecting health, a plethora of interesting, eye-catching designs have emerged as they've quickly become a must-have accessory. From pretty to practical to political, here are some of the best face masks of 2020.
1. Knit monster masks
The world is monstrous, so here are some monstrous masks to match it. Icelandic artist Ýrúrarí has worked in sculptural knitting for years, but only started adding soft teeth and tongues to face masks in 2020.
"Now face masks are becoming such a necessity and part of our life I thought it could be interesting to translate my ideas into that form, inspired by current events," Ýrúrarí told Mashable in an email. The result is a series of grotesque masks that will definitely prompt others to keep their social distance.
Ýrúrarí sells knitting patterns for some of her sculpture elements, so you can create your own personal mouth horror. Her knitted masks are designed for aesthetics rather than safety though, so you’d have to wear another protective face mask beneath them.
2. 'Face' masks
The idea of printing faces onto masks so they’d work with facial recognition initially began as a joke, but product designer Danielle Baskin is now working on actually creating the masks.
Baskin’s service Maskalike intends to launch fabric masks with people’s faces printed onto them first, which won’t unlock a phone. However, she is also developing contoured masks which work with iPhone's Face ID, provided your masked face is registered as an Alternate Appearance. Print half a face on them, and voila: practical yet unsettling phone-unlocking masks.
Making masks iPhone compatible isn’t the only advantage to this project, Baskin told Mashable some people think they would be useful in hospitals. "Waking up to a room of faceless masked doctors can be unsettling, but if masks had a unique print on them, maybe being in a room of doctors would be a more warm or lighter experience."
Also offering a lighter experience is Baskin’s very cool apple mask inspired by “Son of Man” by Magritte. It won’t unlock a phone, but it will make you the talk of your socially-distanced grocery store run.
3. 'I can't breathe' masks
Thousands of people took to the streets in protest this year, rallying against police brutality and systemic racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The 46-year-old father died in May after a Minneapolis police officer handcuffed him and knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, ignoring his cries that he couldn’t breathe.
Protesters have been diligent in wearing face masks, which now serve the dual purpose of protecting their identities as well as slowing the spread of COVID-19. Some have taken it a step further though, writing "I can't breathe" across their masks. These were the last words of both Floyd and Eric Garner, another Black man who died needlessly at the hands of the police.
If any mask design perfectly encapsulates 2020, it’s this one.
4. Clear face masks
Though face masks are essential for public health, they create new problems for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many rely on lip-reading to understand what others are saying, so being unable to see the lower half of people’s faces can be infuriating and isolating.
Transparent face masks such as the ClearMask and the Communicator were designed to address these issues. Originally intended for medical personnel, the pandemic has now sent demand for these masks skyrocketing.
Swiss researchers are also developing a transparent surgical mask which doesn’t use plastic shields. The HelloMask is intended to be biodegradable, more breathable, and won’t have any issues with fogging up.
5. Hijab masks
For healthcare workers, wearing an abrasive face mask during lengthy shifts can become painful. If they wear a hijab, it can also become uncomfortably hot. To help mitigate this problem, fashion startup Anywear teamed up with Somali-American model Halima Aden to design a series of practical yet attractive masks for women who wear hijabs.
“As many hijab-wearing women are working at health care facilities, I wanted to make sure they have a comfortable option for wearing a mask while keeping their hair covered,” said Aden, herself a former hospital worker.
Frontline workers still have to wear an N95 mask beneath the Hijab Set, since it isn't up to personal protective equipment standards. Instead, the washable mask is designed to cover the N95 mask.
Each Hijab Set includes a matching head wrap and face mask made from breathable fabric, as well as a built-in extender enabling the wearer to comfortably secure their mask behind their head. It’s a cute option for any hijabi, even if they don’t work in healthcare. Anywear is also donating a medical cap with buttons to a healthcare worker for each set bought.
6. Beaded plague mask
The beaked shape of a plague mask isn’t something most people associate with traditional art, but it made perfect sense to Cree artist Dolores Gull. Gull is a member of Weenusk First Nation in northern Ontario, and has been beading for decades.
"I came across this plague doctor mask and it reminded me of the ceremonies that we attend," Gull told CBC, speaking about her beautiful beaded mask.
Gull made her mask after seeing the Breathe Facebook group, founded by Métis artists Nathalie Bertin and Lisa Shepherd. The pair has been asking traditional artists to design masks using traditional materials — an effort to foster community amidst the pandemic.
"The mask itself is the initial inspiration," Shepherd told CBC. "We learned early on that the mask is not protecting [the wearer] from COVID-19. When I wear the mask, I'm protecting you and I'm taking care of the community."
Gull’s mask is deeply symbolic, with beaded flowers to represent the land and medicine, three circles representing life, and two parallel lightning bolts “for your eyes to see, to keep you in balance and to have faith.”
7. Facehugger masks
Fiber Art Fever’s mask competitions have been running since March, prompting fiber artists to produce incredible designs that vary wildly in practicability. Though they’re all worth checking out, one likely to inspire glee is Cristina Rodo's felt facehugger mask.
"I was inspired by the Alien movie's facehugger," Rodo told Mashable. "That immediately came to my mind since, like the virus itself, it's terribly scary and sucks the life out of you, keeping you from breathing."
The Portuguese artist took three days to make her wool mask, using wet felting for the body and needle felting for the details. Like Ýrúrarí’s monster masks, Rodo’s alien is focused on art rather than protecting people from COVID-19. It makes thematic sense though — Xenomorphs aren’t known for being particularly concerned with human health and safety.
Rodo isn't the only person who has brought the iconic movie villain into our horrific reality. German artist Lady Frankenstein also took a shot at it, though her sculpted clay mask looks much less comfortable.
All of these masks are great in different ways. But really, the best face mask is any mask that protects you and the people around you.
