Virgil Abloh & Off-White Design Functional Eco Face Masks With Cleveland Clinic
Images via Myles Kalus Anak Jihem / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Virgil Abloh
Here’s a high-end mask you can shell out for without experiencing any buyer’s remorse. Virgil Abloh and his streetwear label Off-White have designed high-utility face masks in a philanthropic partnership with academic medical center Cleveland Clinic and eco production shop Suay.
The face covering doesn’t just serve as a staple piece. It is “expertly constructed” for high breathability and filtration and meets the “high-performing” standards of the Cleveland Clinic, which will also benefit financially from the project.
All proceeds from sales of the Abloh x Suay face masks will “immediately” be transferred to the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Global and Emerging Pathogens to help advance its COVID-19 research.
The garment starts with a non-woven two-ply polypropylene surgical wrap material, and is then entirely fitted into a bias-cut Japanese power mesh. Appearance-wise, the mask sports an elaborate contoured covering with neon blue or green binding and adjustable ear loops.
Tests performed by the Cleveland Clinic and a separate laboratory on the mask’s durability and breathability proved to be impressive. The surgical wrap garment was found to achieve “high-performing” breathability and particle filtration, and came back with a “high-level” efficiency that held up even after 20 washes.
All that, plus the surgical wrap mask is manufactured with sustainability in mind. Its co-designer, Suay, only uses post-consumer waste, deadstock, and domestically- and organically-grown fibers in its production processes.
Delivering on a green promise from start to finish, the face mask is also shipped in compostable packaging.
Abloh expressed feeling moved to have been part of the humanitarian collaboration. “In the grand scheme of things, projects like these are when fashion is the most important,” said the Louis Vuitton menswear artistic director.
The mask is available to purchase at US$57 on Abloh’s Canary Yellow website.
Image via Virgil Abloh
Image via Virgil Abloh
Image via Virgil Abloh
Image via Virgil Abloh
[via Complex and Virgil Abloh, images via various sources]
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