FTA x CSB-SD - Hand-painted Pinch Mask by Minas Oghloukian

One must as surely wear a face-mask these days, as they would wear clothes. With the inevitability of a shoe, and the washing cycle of a pair of underwear- this newly essential accessory has shifted from a surgical precaution to an intimate, daily prosthetic. How does one address this facade, which has virtually replaced the lower half of the human face in public settings? How does one turn this filter into a crown?

Fashion Trust Arabia and Creative Space Beirut School of Design came together to address this question. They devised a competition for CSB students to be critical and imaginative about face-mask design, while maintaining extreme reverence to clinical precautions. This yielded a driven collective study on functional aesthetics. 

Here, for your protection and enjoyment, is a highlight from our process:

Two thick layers of cotton, elastic bands, and a pinched contour at the nose make up a traditional face-mask with a straightforward, no-frills design giving stage to the student’s hand-drawn, coded, illustrations.

• Exterior and Interior: Polyester Blend