I hope this finds you well. I know. This whole upheaval has gripped many in fear and uncertainty.

You must remember that we have been down these roads before and that we have knowledge and history on our side to inform us on what to do. Plus, we have the most incredible collaborative tool that brings the knowledge of the world and the skills of a collective species in the palm of our hands via the internet; this alone is unlike anything mankind has ever had before. Already, some designers have banded together in a group facilitated by the Business of Fashion to address the problems within the industry exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic to address issues such as the fashion calendar, addressing profitable markdown cycles and how fashion is even presented (manifesto at rewiringfashion.org although you might want to do a cached search on Google if the link is having issues). Meanwhile, more informally, some designers and merchants in New York have begun the conversation of how to survive the economic consequences that have resulted from a global shutdown, sharing ideas and strategy (Fashion Observed, of course, provided some ideas that will be presented in this blog for your benefit). The point of bringing this up is that we are tenacious and resourceful, and if any industry can handle change, it is fashion. After all, change is integral to fashion itself. But while the industry struggles with survival in the face of rather daunting circumstances, an unlikely influence has emerged that is not going away anytime soon: Covid-19 itself. How fitting that a new category of covid fashion has taken hold.

Fashion has begun creating masks to protect wearers, many allowing the insertion of filters so the masks provide aesthetic as well as practical utilization while bringing a sense of style one expects form designers, regardless of what's happening in our world. While it is true that Instagram is inundated with the sharing of mask imagery thanks to a budding DIY explosion by the multitudes in quarantine, there are some interesting spin-offs from the design community. Within Haute Couture, the earliest innovator regarding sustainable high fashion, Ronald van der Kemp, recently put out a presentation in a luxury hotel in Amsterdam, pairing previous creations with accompanying masks that transcend art (here, here and here). These went beyond protection to become collectible. Many designers such as Three ASFOUR (here), Anrealage (here) and haute coutourier Maria Aristidou (here) have tapped into deadstock from prior collections to provide sustainable incarnations, and designers such as M. Patmos created masks using environmentally friendly materials (here).

As far as textile technology in the realms of mask production, there is a lot happening regarding producing materials to either kill or resist the corona virus itself. Some companies are specializing in copper-infused antimicrobial apparel, mainly because copper kills Covid-19 on contact. Already a few mask-producing companies like Copper Compression and Copper Clothing offer four-layered masks that block 99% of particulates, while another company called Copper Mask uses a combination of six-ply copper and HEPA filters to block 92% of particulate matter. Kuhn Copper Solutions has long been an early advocate of copper use in hospitals and specializes in copper mesh masks with inserts in traditional or cloth versions. News of copper's protective properties has, in fact, spurred mask production from unlikely places such as Atoms Shoes, CustomInk and the Futon Shop. Another implementation of copper has recently burst into fashion...and we'll get to that after talking more about masks. Innovative research has moved beyond this traditional material, and Israel in particular seems to be in the forefront of such research.

Coming off of what's already been tested at the Galilee Medical Center, mechanical engineering professor Eyal Zussman of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology has led a team to develop a 3D-printed nanoscale fiber sticker coated with antiseptics that traps particles and neutralizes virus droplets that land on the mask. This sticker attaches to a traditional mask to provide extra protection, so it can augment any mask that one currently owns. Meanwhile, Chris Arnusch, a water research professor at Ben Gurion University spent five years developing porous graphene membranes with antimicrobial and antiviral properties for use in water purification but now he's trying to validate the technology for air looking to adapt it for masks and air filters. At another part of the globe, Hong Kong Polytechnic University researchers are also looking at laser-induced graphene, applying the material to disposable surgical masks to make them self-sterilizing and ultra water-repellent; virus-laden droplets would roll off upon impact. They also noted in a paper released in April of this year that sunlight could theoretically sterilize a graphene-coated mask by heating it to 176°F.

One design talent recently on Instagram flashed another untapped aspect of protection that could show design potential: the face shield. Utilized mostly by hospital staff, the face shield offers some protection from any particulate matter without affecting the visage, especially where cosmetics and preserving identity are concerned. While it doesn't filter what is breathing in, it does prevent flying particles from entering the mucous membranes, another potential entry point for Covid-19. And an example by Joe Doucet showcases how fashion can manufacture something more stylish as we brave re-entering the world at large while we await salvation in the form of a vaccine. He recently showed on Instagram a rather modern take on this item (here), bringing a chic aesthetic to something that was once clinical and utilitarian that is bound to spur further design exploration for those who want alternatives to the mask. Ideas like these that bring a modern "cool factor" tend to go viral, so you can be sure that some of the more established fashion houses will find ways to market their own versions that line up with their brand's design aesthetic.

Getting back to the use of copper, fashion has found inevitable innovation with this material is a sleek way. Vollebak, the clothing company that made a jacket out of graphene and a T-shirt out of carbon fiber (a material normally used in jet engines and sports cars), has come out with its most ambitious garment yet: a coat made of microbe-destroying copper woven into the coat material itself (here). The incarnation of this recent innovation is, in itself, fascinating. Vollebak co-founder Steve Tidball says he was originally inspired to create clothing out of copper after watching a TED Talk by Bill Gates about pandemics. After talking to friends who work in the aerospace industry who mentioned that astronauts immune systems are compromised in space, he thought of explorers and adventurers who wear their clothing. Those customers told them that they're in very remote places and are worried about getting sick. The combination of all this information and feedback prompted him to think about making clothes that could resist viruses or bacteria. And it's not just a hint of copper in these coats; each jacket is made of 65% copper, using approximately seven miles of the metal in every coat.

This pandemic has affected fashion in other manners, such as how other creatives are making use of their time at home while in quarantine. One newer designer, Meg Calloway, has been using quarantine time to produce handcrafted personal objects to keep her skills and design prowess alive (here). Ji Won Choi has been testing new design evolutions with materials at hand while being sequestered (here and here). And where fashion is at a standstill otherwise, students who could not have the traditional graduation platform are sharing their craft online, keeping inspiration going. Instagram has seen a continuous inspiring stream of inspiration as students and graduates keep their creative juices flowing (see the Fashion Observed Instagram feed for many examples).

The pandemic has made its impact on our culture as much as it has our economy. There is not much we can do while we wait for circumstances to play out beyond adaptation, but isn't that what we're good at?