China’s Fashion Week has seen numerous pollution masks being paraded down the runway; a trend unsurprisingly inspired by China’s worrisome air quality.
While several controversial creations have been displayed at this event, currently underway in Beijing, those of Qiaodan Yin Peng, a designer specializing in sportswear, appear to be amongst the most widely discussed. This designer’s sportswear collection featured a range of contemporary sporty garments, all of which were worn alongside an unexpected accessory; couture pollution masks.
Some of the masks were large enough to cover only the mouths of supermodels while others enveloped the entire head as a helmet would; a sight reminiscent of the headgear typically worn by fencers and bee-keepers. Netizen Dawn Yang seemed to think otherwise, humorously describing the controversial collection a “tribute to Darth Vader” via Twitter.
Fashionable pollution masks have steered the limelight away (at least temporarily) from some of China’s other controversial fashionable creations, such as the facekini, whose appearance in high end Western fashion incited waves of controversial discussion on social media websites in August (read about this on our sister website, Hello Nanjing).
Admittedly, this is not the first time that pollution masks in high culture have raised eyebrows. Earlier this month Beijing artist Kong Ning was photographed strutting around the smoggy streets of China’s capital wearing a wedding gown composed of 999 pollution masks.
Meanwhile several other fashion designers, also inspired by China’s poor air quality, have incorporated pollution masks into their collections, catching fashionistas the world over off-guard.
You may be wondering why Qiaodan’s designs are attracting so much attention, especially if pollution masks have already made their debut in the fashion world. It really comes down to two reasons. Number one; the masks in Qiaodan’s sportswear collection imply that just like a comfortable pair of sneakers, a pollution mask is now a component of the typical Chinese athlete’s attire. The second reason, perhaps the more major of the two, is the timing of the collection’s debut.
Qiaodan’s designs happened to be released in the same month that a heavy cloud of smog engulfed regions of Northern China, a pollution scare so severe that it prompted Beijing to issue “a code orange” alert and enforce several precautionary restrictions.
Air quality readings exceeded 400 ppm twice this month, a figure deemed beyond hazardous level (which is said to be at 300 ppm). In light of such readings, Beijing’s authorities advised residents to try and avoid partaking in outdoor activities.
The fashion world is obviously embracing China’s smoggy conditions, authorities on the other hand are determined to prevent them. Today, China Daily has reported that in 2015 China will introduce a series of tough measures to limit vehicle pollution in the nation’s key regions. The measures range from enforcing fuel standards to removing old, polluting vehicles from the nation’s roads all together. It was reported that by the end of this year some 6 million cars are predicted to fall into this category.
While many reporters have linked the fashionable masks to Beijing’s suffocating pollution, others have pointed the finger of blame at the ebola virus epidemic, due to which China’s health authorities have in recent times begun improving safeguards to cope with the threat of the pandemic entering the country.
Although the inspiration behind these designs may be debatable, one thing is for certain; pollution masks have officially infiltrated the fashion world. It is time to step aside, facekini, for a new fashionable accessory is in town; couture pollution masks. Making smog sadly stylish since October 2014, just in time for Halloween.
