photos: re-nt, Julian Zigerli.
Since our first article about designer face masks from Berlin that came out in April and featured 7 different designers who were amongst the first to produce masks a lot has changed. The senate has imposed rules that it’s compulsory to wear masks in public transport and shops. But also many more designers have decided to create masks with their own style so we have some good looking alternatives to the self-made ones or the ugly blue hospital ones. In the end, we have to wear these on our faces, so at least they should look good somehow, right?
With so many more options on the market, we thought it’s about time to make another designer face mask guide for you. We are glad to be able to support some local small businesses with our guide and give our readers some pointers on where they can get what they need. We decided not to repeat any of the designers from our first guide as this one still is new and valid. So please see this as the second part, you can find the designers from the first part right here.
re-nt
We love the very creative approach of the Berlin-label re-nt trying really new shapes and techniques for the face masks that break the usual style of these masks. They were designed by young designers from Berlin and locally sewn with left-over fabrics from the label. 5 EUR per sale will be donated to the charity Ärzte ohne Grenzen (Doctors withour Borders). You can order them online here.
Julian Zigerli
The only designer from our list that is technically not from Berlin, but was a regular at Berlin Fashion Week and on iHeartBerlin for many years and therefore deserves his spot here, is Julian Zigerli. His designs are based on the standard pleated style, but stand out because of his bold printed fabrics from his previous collections. There is even one print with naked dudes photographed by Walter Pfeiffer, so obviously that’s our favorite. You can order them here.
Ivanman
The masks by Ivanman have a more refined cut with several folds on the lower side to create less pressure on the tip of your nose. It also has several layers that include 2 from cotton on the outer and inner side and a special fleece in the middle. And they have a metal rod on the upper side to bend around your nose. This might very well be the most technical mask of all. They also created a finger protector key chain that lets you touch surfaces like door handles and elevator buttons without contamination. You can request all those products in various fabrics and colors via the channels linked on his website.
Hernán
Berlin-based accessory designer Hernán came up with an incredibly comfortable design that also looks extra cool. The shape is also a detour from standard styles with creases on the top and bottom side for extra comfort. The black textured fabric makes for an excellent minimalistic yet sophisticated look. You can request your mask via Instagram. Be quick, his first batch of 60 masks was sold out in one day.
Lala Berlin
The cute face masks from Lala Berlin that come in 6 different designs are a 100% charity product as all of the proceeds will go to an NGO dedicated to children that suffer from domestic violence and poverty. The first batch of the mask was met with so much enthusiasm that it is already sold out but restocks have been already announced so keep your eyes peeled to the FB page of Lala Berlin or check back to their online shop soon.
Marina Hoermanseder
The queen of leather straps, Marina Hoermanseder, has also come out with a small range of snazzy face masks. The premium design, of course, has a leather strap on it, but we also love her other funky designs with leopard prints and shiny fabrics. All masks come in a little dust bag, which I think is a great idea, because this way you can keep them safe from contamination with other objects in your pocket such as your keys, gloves, phone, etc. You can get your Marina masks here.
Odeeh
There are three things that I especially like about the Odeeh face masks: They have ribbons to tie them behind your head, I find this a better design solution than the rubber bands behind the ears because if you take them off for a while you can have them hang around your neck without touching (and possibly contaminating them) too much, instead of having them dangle from one ear and potentially losing them this way. I also like that they have prints with mouths on them, because it’s bad enough that face masks eradicate the casual smile to a stranger, at least with a mouth print we get reminded what a smile looks like. And thirdly, you never just need one mask, but several, so you don’t have to wash them every single day, so it’s great that they offer packs of several masks. Order them here.
Dawid Tomaszewski
Designer Dawid Tomaszewski came up with some extra fabulous designs that he calls “facies” which I really like. They come in 2 sizes which I think makes sense as we all don’t have the same head sizes and you don’t want to bend your ears too much, do you? The masks are also charity products as 15% of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity. You can find a selection right here in his online shop.
Maisonnoée
The Berlin-based womenswear label Maisonnoée has come out with a quite large collection of face masks in various different colors and fabrics. Some of them have slight variations with the seams which creates some interesting details. They also have a large selection of masks for kids, which is cute, and it’s the only label I found that thought of the little ones. Order them here.
Maskenheldinnen
Our very own Franzi has started her own face mask label together with a friend creating quite minimalistic and clean-cut masks which have been selling like hotcakes. They come in some basics color versions: black, red, beige, and grey, as well as a few pattern prints. There are mostly options with rubber bands that go behind the ears, but also options to tie ribbons behind your head. Unlike most of the masks from our list, these ones can actually be washed at 90°C. The name of the label is not describing the designers behind the label but the wearer of the masks because with every purchase, 1 EUR of the proceeds will be donated to the children’s charity Arche. Get your mask here.
Dzaino
What most designers do when creating their face masks is using left-over fabric from their previous collections. Masks are perfect for that because the pieces of the patterns are really small so you can even use tiny scrap pieces and sample strips to make them. In a way, this way of sourcing materials is very inline with waste reduction and upcycling. The label Dzaino is generally focussed on those two aspects, so for them, the face mask production comes naturally. In their webshop, they offer versions with and without elastic bands, as well as a very simple pleated version for a very low price and also in a pack of 10.
