Toronto fashion designer Hayley Elsaesser was unsure about adding face masks to her clothing brand two months ago, ordering just a B次元官网网址渟mall amountB次元官网网址� of samples to test out demand through her online shop.

When those bold, colourful masks sold out B次元官网网址渨ithin two hoursB次元官网网址� she realized how popular they had actually become.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced North Americans to be more accepting of the type of mask culture that has been widely adopted in other parts of the world.

And now Canadian fashion designers are catching up to their Eastern counterparts in making cloth face masks more vibrant and B次元官网网址� they hope B次元官网网址� more enjoyable to wear.

B次元官网网址淭his is something thatB次元官网网址檚 taking over half your face, so you might as well make a statement with it,B次元官网网址� said Elsaesser, who herself was inspired by Japanese mask fashion. B次元官网网址滻t can be a little bit weird to start wearing a mask in the first place. B次元官网网址� So by tying in the fashion statement, it makes it a little more palatable for people wearing them for the first time.

B次元官网网址淚t becomes something to be excited about, rather than (focusing on) the reality of why you have to wear a mask in the first place.B次元官网网址�

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ElsaesserB次元官网网址檚 masks, made of washable, quilted jersey fabric, sell on her online shop for $25, with 20 per cent of her profits donated to the Food Banks Canada COVID-19 Response Fund.

Her patterns are bright, distinct and quirky B次元官网网址� like the one with 8-balls donning blue cowboy hats on a leopard-print background, or the one with teal and pink beetles scattered over a light purple backdrop.

Elsaesser says those wacky patterns represent her own personal style. But they have added benefits as well.

B次元官网网址淥bviously safety is more important than looking fashionable but itB次元官网网址檚 really important to help your mental self feel good too,B次元官网网址� Elsaesser said. B次元官网网址淪omething that really helps my mental health and just being a more positive person is putting on an outfit that lifts my spirits.

B次元官网网址淎nd IB次元官网网址檝e noticed that people react really positively to me when IB次元官网网址檓 wearing a cute printed mask.B次元官网网址�

Elsaesser said she was initially hesitant to sell the masks out of fear of being viewed as someone who was capitalizing off a pandemic.

Other Canadian designers struggled with that too.

Katrin Leblond, designer and owner of MontrealB次元官网网址檚 Boutique Katrin Leblond, said she received hate mail when she added cloth masks to her online shop early into the pandemic.

Leblond was on vacation in Barbados in March when COVID-19 started spreading internationally. She decided then to halt production on her spring line and focus her efforts on making and selling reusable masks for the general public instead.

B次元官网网址淧eople were rushing around buying Lysol and toilet paper, and it just didnB次元官网网址檛 feel right trying to promote this beautiful new collection that I made when that wasnB次元官网网址檛 where people were at,B次元官网网址� Leblond said.

B次元官网网址淚 was just intuiting what was going on and when I posted the first batch of 50 masks, I got hate mail, like full-on: B次元官网网址榶ou greedy corporate pig profiting off a pandemic.B次元官网网址� So it was really intense. B次元官网网址� But (the masks) sold so quickly. So the numbers and the messages were contradictory.B次元官网网址�

Leblond estimates she sold 5,000 masks during her first month, forcing her to find a new fabric cutter who could cut larger quantities at a time.

She uses her own custom prints B次元官网网址� mostly bright florals and nature motifs B次元官网网址� and sells masks in a variety four-pack for $79. TheyB次元官网网址檙e made of organic cotton and theyB次元官网网址檙e reversible, with a plain backside.

Leblond also sells unprinted black masks, at the insistence of her 25-year-old brother who thought she should diversify a bit from the usual B次元官网网址渏oyful, feminine, folk-art inspiredB次元官网网址� tone of her designs.

Lennard Taylor, owner of the Winnipeg-based Lennard Taylor Design Studio, says colourful face masks have become a means of self-expression at a time of increased loneliness and anxiety.

B次元官网网址淭his is the new way of smiling,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 (about) wearing a fun, funky print that will make somebody else smile underneath their own mask.B次元官网网址�

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Taylor has produced 60 different patterns that reflect his B次元官网网址渕odern and sophisticatedB次元官网网址� fashion style, but only one is shown on his site. Customers can make certain requests B次元官网网址� a preferred colour scheme, for example B次元官网网址� but orders are filled based on whatB次元官网网址檚 in stock on a given day.

Taylor said he also received criticism when he decided to sell his $20 cotton masks, but he saw the new venture as a way to keep his employees working during a time of mass layoffs around the country.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 doing my best to keep my business going, paying my employees and having a little bit extra money that I can donate to various charities in my city,B次元官网网址� he said.

While fashion designers donB次元官网网址檛 know how long the need for non-medical masks will last, they do believe the pandemic is changing the way North Americans perceive them.

And making them more fashionable might be helping.

B次元官网网址淥ftentimes things formed out of necessity eventually turn into something designers take and make into fashion, so hopefully itB次元官网网址檚 something that becomes more sought after versus being seen as a negative thing,B次元官网网址� Elsaesser said.

B次元官网网址淚 thought this was going to be a really small blip on my website, but it doesnB次元官网网址檛 seem to be going anywhere.B次元官网网址�

Leblond says the desire to express beauty through fashion wonB次元官网网址檛 go away either.

B次元官网网址淢y whole life has been answering the question of: is what I do superficial? Is fashion superficial?B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd IB次元官网网址檝e found that beauty makes people happy B次元官网网址� maybe now more than ever.B次元官网网址�

Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press

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