Fashion Face Masks Are NYFW's Biggest Trend For SS21

Across New York Fashion Week, designers are showcasing their takes on this season
Across New York Fashion Week, designers are showcasing their takes on this season's most essential fashion item.

Eckhaus Latta

Along the East River, Zoe Latta and Mike Eckhaus presented their spring collection, which was every bit as edgy and cool, yet wearable, as those that came before it. But what impressed us more than the bicoastal indie brand's selection of ribbed knitwear, delicate crochet work, and matching loungewear sets were the masks worn with them. While some models wore surgical masks, others appeared in the most Eckhaus Latta-style options: tie-dye alternatives in neutral tones of terracotta, cocoa, and army green.

Christian Siriano

To present his spring '21 collection, Christian Siriano gathered a select few of his closest (masked) fashion friends at a glamorous home in Westport, Connecticut, where models, including Lauren Chan, Coco Rocha, and Ingrid Medeiros, showed off stunning gowns and equally stunning matching face masks — some of which were printed with the word VOTE on them — via a runway built on top of a backyard pool.

Collina Strada

As expected, Collina Strada's spring '21 collection was full of masks, including designer Hillary Taymour's signature side-tie, tie-dye mask, as well as a new satin style shaped like a flower. Varying shades of both options were presented throughout the eco-conscious brand's film presentation — titled Change Is Cute — which included digital flower models, farm-tastic clothes, and a song made specifically for the video that often repeated the phrase, Climate change is really sad, which, like, true.

Frère

Davidson Petit-Frère's luxury menswear brand Frère is known for its classic tailoring, artisan-made pieces, and high-quality materials. Now, for its spring '21 collection, the fashion house is translating that into its first womenswear collection, which includes suits (and a matching face mask).

Oak & Acorn

For spring '21, Harlem-based sustainable denim brand Oak & Acorn used its slot on the NYFW calendar to continue the conversation around systemic racism in America. Between images of protests and messages about denim's role in American history, the brand's presentation video flashed to images of models, including one wearing a denim face mask painted with the word FREE on it.

Zero + Maria Cornejo

Not only did this N.Y.-based label design masks to protect wearers in style, but they also did so sustainably. This mask, in particular, was made using what the brand calls zig-zag quilting, a method of quilting made from organic cotton and a renewable, 100% biodegradable cellulose acetate that is manufactured with minimal emissions, because who wants to be breathing in potentially harmful materials all day?