9 Splashy Masks to Try On

By Kenny Stodola 3 years ago

Another Nest guild member, the Los Angeles-based brand Ziran started making face masks even before the onset of the pandemic, using scraps of xiang yun sha silk fabric, which is naturally dyed using vegetable juices and mud from the Pearl River and sourced from a single village in China. The elegant dark florals, like “black dahlia” and “jasmine,” are a striking pick, perhaps for dads who want something a little more sophisticated than your average monochrome or glen plaid. For each mask sold, Ziran donates 20 percent to the restaurant relief organization Frontline Foods; the brand also regularly donates medical-grade masks to health care workers. $45, theziran.com.

The Detroit-based brand Diop, founded in 2018 by Mapate Diop and Evan Fried, makes brightly patterned tops and bandannas from batik-printed Ankara fabrics that are modeled on those that Diop’s mother used to bring home after trips to her native Nigeria. Its masks are similarly bold: There’s “knickerbockers,” covered in a vibrant geometric illustration; “golden bloom,” a floral filigree; and “black,” the best-selling style, a simple but compelling black mask with white detailing inspired by mud cloth from Mali. Since launching its face masks, Diop has raised more than $30,000 for a range of charities in the Detroit area and donated 5,000 medical-grade masks to health care workers in the city. $15, weardiop.com.

Sold in packs of two — and currently available in a pinstriped pattern — the one-size-fits-all face masks offered by the gender-neutral brand Ijji are, like the monochrome basics that make up its main collection, appealingly minimalist. Ijji clothes seem to compose a daily uniform, of sorts, so it’s fitting that this most recent addition is also a new everyday companion. $12 for two, ijji.co.

Since 2012, Deirdra Jones’s company, Jones of Boerum Hill, has provided workwear for companies like Le Labo, Woodford Reserve and the chef Marcus Samuelsson. But after many businesses — including much of the restaurant industry — were forced to shutter because of the coronavirus pandemic, Jones’s newer brand Rendall Co. has focused on making masks. Its Sentry design, available in four fabrics, has the same rough-hewn aesthetic of your most beloved apron. And for each mask sold, Rendall Co. donates one to an essential worker or nonprofit. $19, rendallco.com.

Earlier this month, The Vampire’s Wife — the fashion label founded in 2014 by Susie Cave and known for its high-femme gothic aesthetic — launched a limited collection of floral silk masks. They sold out within minutes, so the brand scheduled another drop, adding cotton masks and other designs — which also sold out almost immediately. Fortunately, The Vampire’s Wife plans to restock each Friday for the near future, and for every mask sold, donates a portion of the proceeds to charities supporting food banks, shelters and other organizations in need. $44.40, thevampireswife.com.

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