As most of us have discovered by now, glasses and masks don’t get on – wear your specs when you’re popping to the shops and you won’t be able to see what you came in for thanks to the instant fogging of the lenses.
Fortunately, thoughtful design is here to save us. ‘We wondered if we could use glasses frames to support and hold a mask instead of ears, to offer a more comfortable experience,’ says Lily Cole, founder of glasses company Wires Glasses. The masks they have created in collaboration with Vivienne Westwood adhere to the same ethical foundations as the glasses, focusing on functionality quickly followed by aesthetics and principles.
The designs, which hang from your glasses rather than your ears, decrease the likeliness of the glasses’ lenses fogging. Crafted from off-cut fabric from Vivienne Westwood, they are cheerful and chic, as well as comfortable. The Wires Glasses frames are formed from stainless steel wire, with lenses created using 3D printing to ensure the process is zero waste; it was natural to extend this philosophy to the masks themselves. ‘Turning designer off-cut fabric that would normally be discarded into something new felt like an exciting and appropriate avenue to explore.’
Each detail has been carefully considered: ‘After a few rounds of prototypes, we found a shape that we were happy with - including a reversible design, so each mask could have two sides to it,’ says Cole. To create the masks, they looked to support those out of work due to the pandemic. ‘In terms of principles, we then looked for how we could make these masks in a responsible way, and hired tailors who normally work in the theatre industry. In terms of material sourcing, we focused on buying organic cotton because it is listed as one of the best materials for handmade masks in multiple studies; and organic because its ecological footprint is lighter.’
All proceeds from the masks, available at maiyet.com, will go to Cool Earth, Women’s Aid and The Black Curriculum.
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