As of Monday 10 August, shoppers across Northern Ireland have been urged to wear protective face coverings in stores with the new mandatory legislation.
There have unsurprisingly been mixed reactions to the Executive’s new rule, which is aimed at helping prevent the spread of Covid-19. There have also been questions around who should have to enforce the decisions, security guards, shop staff, police?
Despite the controversy, some NI locals have embraced the face masks as a new fashion accessory, with personalised designs, funky fabrics and homemade coverings. The following are just a few examples which may help inspire those searching for an original mask of their own.
‘Self expression’
Amy Millar and her husband Mark live in Antrim, and have opted to have their pet black Labrador Thor printed on their face masks.
Amy said: “We should just think of it as another piece of clothing and another opportunity for self-expression. We got ours from a company called Lock&Stitch on Instagram!”
Helping others
Ciaran McClean has been wearing the homemade masks his wife Fiona has been making since April, and can here be seen modelling a superhero-inspired original.
Fiona, who lives in Sixmilecross, Co Tyrone, has been manufacturing masks for Masks4allIreland throughout the pandemic; a self-proclaimed crowdsourced group of volunteer sewists, making cloth cotton masks for those who need them in response to global shortage of PPE.
Ciaran said: “I find them very comfortable, really snug and breathable.”
Environmentally friendly
Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Peter McReynolds found his leafy green masterpiece in the Refill Quarter in east Belfast.
As the city’s first ‘zero waste shop’ it uses recycled pieces and fabrics to make all its items for purchase, so there is an added environmental bonus to their PPE products!
Advertising and business opportunities
The coverings can also be repurposed as advertising tools, as shown here by Raymond Dillon. As managing director of Proto Software, he had a few masks customised online to help market the Omagh-based firm with its logo.
With the coronavirus crisis resulting in thousands of people being furloughed, made redundant, or just unable to find work, crafting masks has also been a way for people to make money and use their creative talents for business purposes in a seemingly bleak world.
The power of social media has also meant that many artistic entrepreneurs don’t even need their own website or shop to sell their coverings. For example, 22-year-old Kate McCormack from Belfast has been making and selling her own unique face masks via her Instagram and Depop platforms.
Anna Anderson has bought multiple of friend Kate's masks, including this Winne the Pooh model.
Send your face mask pics to @SyncNI on Twitter!
