Merry face masks: Protection in fashion for the gift-giving season
MANILA, Philippines — This year’s Christmas is one of a kind. A Christmas with no holiday rush, big family dinners and face-to-face Christmas parties.
Despite the cancellation of the holiday festivities and gatherings, the pandemic will never cancel holiday cheer. Now, more than ever, it’s the season to slow down and truly appreciate your family and friends by sharing unique gifts that tell them that you care even from a distance.
Health is wealth, above all else, and so we all need to follow these safety first protocols. But this does not mean that we can't anymore look good even if we are just at home or merely joining virtual Christmas masked parties.
After months of lockdown, here are several reusable face mask designs that you might want to wear for those Zoom parties or even to give as a gift to yourself, friends or loved ones.
Buy a woven a mask and help maintain the Rice Terraces
There are many sellers online that sell masks made from weaves and textiles from all over the country. Among these are the masks by Ifugao nation (Ifugaonation.com), the social enterprise arm of the Save the Ifugao Rice Terraces Movement or SITMo, a grassroots organization that works on the conservation of the Rice Terraces of the Cordillera Region.
Their weaves are made by the men and women of the Kiyanggan Weavers Association that uses Philippine cotton. Their masks have non-woven polypropylene layer for filtration and is made of 100 % polyester inner lining. The good news is, their latest offering does not only include a mask but a matching headband for P350 per set.
Iconic bandana print
Everybody loves a piece of an icon and Levi's has started to produce its own face masks. Made of 100% cotton, the masks are designed so as to closely resemble the brand's signature bandana. It even features the signature Levi’s red tab to give you a simple and intuitive indication of which side is up. The face masks come in two sizes, small and large. Each set retails for P699.50 for a set of three via the brand’s website.
To make it easier for anyone to customize their denim, the brand’s Tailor Shop within select stores now offer services online. You can have your Trucker jackets personalized with just a few clicks.
Until December 27, during Fridays to Sundays only, get three free Tailor Shop services for purchases of P3,500 and above. The vouchers can be used at all of the brand’s tailor shop branches nationwide.
Related: Levi’s® launches new line of reusable face masks
Designer does K-pop
As a budding fashion designer, Jobert Cristobal owns a boutique, which he was forced to close because of the pandemic. As such, he instead opened shop on Lazada last May.
Since then, Jobert started selling art pieces in the form of masks, footwear and coasters. He is especially known for his face masks inspired by K-pop stars like Blackpink and BTS, as well as for his four-ply masks inspired by classical art pieces.
Similarly, Skinpotions came aboard Lazada last year from initially selling primarily through social media as well at bazaars and collaboration stores. Since then, it has become a beauty go-to for its Tomato Serum, Peach Thy Lash, Pit Potion, Acne Pie Soap and Snowberry Sleeping Cream Mask beauty products, whose logos and designs are now incorporated into the brand’s limited-edition face masks for beauty junkies.
With Filipinos increasingly consuming content from online channels, a new realm of opportunities have also opened up for content creators to make a living in the digital space. This has sparked a boom in digital influencers, who are now able to leverage their creative talents and social reach to earn an income online.
Livestream has been rising in popularity among online content creators, who leverage their social media channels to provide their followers live recommendations on products they trust or discover.
To supporting the growth of digital influencers and their evolving potential, Lazada recently launched the Ambassador Affiliate Program under its affiliate program, to empower regular consumers and aspiring online creators to further monetize their social reach, by promoting the e-commerce platform’s products on their social media platforms.
“We have seen swift adoption of eCommerce in the country, and this was accelerated during the period of the pandemic. As more Filipinos turn to online channels for content, we also want to support consumers and aspiring content creators, by providing them more opportunities to grow their following and build a career online. Through the Ambassador Affiliate Program, we want to groom more talent in the community and also contribute to the growth of our local economy.” said Neil Trinidad, Lazada Philippines Chief Marketing Officer.
The affiliate marketing program has already supported seasoned digital influencers that have established an online presence in creating content to engage with their followers, while maintaining authenticity in their personal branding. By extending the Ambassador Affiliate Program to consumers, the company aims to support aspiring content creators in the community to generate an income while growing an online presence and building a connection with followers.
Own a piece of Catriona Gray's 'Lava gown'
Yes, indeed, you can feel like Miss Universe 2018 for a moment with Mak Tumang redesigning his iconic red gown into face masks.
Coming in a set of four sold at a sale price of P1,800, the beaded masks are made of neoprene, cotton lining and non-woven filter. Colors vary from fiery red to metallic ash.
After the success of the mask sets, Tumang recently came up with "Lava Luxe," a collection still inspired by Catriona's gown, but made more luxurious with the addition of Swarovski crystals. All proceeds, said the Filipino designer, will go to artisan communities whose livelihoods were affected by the pandemic.
Don your Kapamilya love
Avid “Momshies,” “Madlang People,” and “ASAP-Kapamilyas” can show their love for Kapamilya shows with the official face masks of “Magandang Buhay,” “It’s Showtime” and “ASAP Natin ‘To.”
The neoprene face masks are customized with vibrant and colorful designs that match the happy vibe of the three ABS-CBN programs and are printed on a washable and stretchable fabric with a pocket inside for inserts.
Those who are interested to purchase the licensed face masks for themselves or as gifts can e-mail their orders to local personalized gift shop InstaMUG’s email instamug.orders@gmail.com for P120 apiece.
Water-resistant sports masks
As a leading sporting brand, UnderArmour has made masks functional and comfortable. Its Sportsmask is a reusable, water-resistant and first-of-its-kind performance face mask designed to optimize breathing and provide maximum comfort. It aims to reduce the spread of respiratory droplets by the wearer.
The top of the mask features a moldable nose-bridge to secure it in place and mitigate airflow to the eyes, preventing glasses from fogging.
The Sportsmask features a unique, three-layer model engineered for athletes during performance. Layer 1 has the spacer fabric with air pockets for structure so it stays off the mouth and nose. The second layer is the open-cell foam, the breathable middle layer that lets air through but makes it hard for moisture and sweat to pass.
The third layer features the Iso-chill, a fabric treated with the non-metal, anti-microbial technology called PROTX2TM. The mask is now available at the brand’s select stores for P1,395.
Animal masks for kids, kids-at-heart
GAP has recently opened its The Mask Shop that features non-medical grade masks. The masks feature adjustable ear straps and nose piece.
The washable and reusable masks are made from soft triple-layer cotton and includes pockets for inserts. They are available in three packs and family eight packs via the brand's official Philippine website.
