Multiple meanings of the face mask: Masking as the new social practice in the context of lockdown creativity and pandemic chic

The global coronavirus-caused pandemic has affected the creative industries in many ways, including the fashion industry. Wearing masks in public as one of the recommended preventive measures has transformed the face mask into an important cultural object that has gained new meaning. The paper analyses the literature that points to several important topics: the new position of the fashion industry; sociological analyses of cultural objects with special emphasis on masks and disguise practices; new meanings of face masks in a pandemic context and the transformation of masks into an everyday clothing item that has become a creative challenge for fashion designers. The face mask has become a key cultural product and a design product whose function is not only utilitarian but also symbolic. Referring to the adaptability of the fashion industry and new trends in clothing, illustrative examples point to the potential of lockdown/pandemic creativity and outline new challenges for the fashion sector in terms of social and democratic potential of fashion and the possibility of transforming the system towards a slower and more sustainable model.

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