Air pollution is the world’s single largest environmental health risk and, at some point, fashion and practicality need to cross paths in more places than Asia alone.
The Guardian recently published a fashion feature on air pollution masks and how they may become the newest accessory to prop up on your vanity. Step aside crystal clutches, we’re all about the piece that helps us breath beautifully now. Air pollution masks are a common siting in Asian countries, and one designer made headlines for upcycling Yeezy Boost 350 V2s into air pollution masks and pricing them at $5000 a pop.
Earlier this month, Swedish company Airnium launched a limited edition neon breathing mask called M90 citing “state of the art technology, Swedish design” which, as far as design goes, is all any fashion collector could ask for.
The Airnium masks are superior to the fabric masks seen often in Asian countries, which perform poorly when tested for how they improve quality of air for breathing. Even the medical masks worn by surgeons test generally ineffective in improving quality of air.
So the Airnium masks will improve the quality of air that city dwellers breath but the neon camo design won’t be for everybody. Actually, speaking of Yeezy, it’s entirely possible to believe that, given Kanye West’s doomsday design aesthetic, he’ll have a streetwear alternative to Sweden’s neon air pollution masks in the near future. And, yes, they’ll probably be limited edition and priced for market at $5000 a pop.
Read more about Airnium here and visit the brand’s Kickstarter page here.