PANDEMIC FASHION
The idea of “nothing will be the same” that come into our life with the corona virus epidemic and that suddenly affects our life and changes our habits; what kind of effect will leave into the fashion world…Because masks have been indispensable accessories of our outfits for the last months. Did you know that Venice masks, the world’s most famous masks, were also used for an epidemic situation?!?
Those colorful masks that we have used to seen on the shop windows at the Venetian streets or at the Venetian mask festival, have actually been served many different purposes over the years. Like, spies and statesmen used masks to hide their identities or those masks were used to eliminate class differences In Venice, a small city. The poor people secretly could go to the ball of the nobility, thanks to these masks.
In the 14th century, Italy was again the country most affected during the massive plague epidemic that surrounded Europe and caused the death of a third of the European population.
Italian doctors used this mask while going to check their plague patients and used various herbs, medicines into the long beak to prevent the disease from infecting them by respiration. They used to cover the eye parts of the mask with crystal lenses and wear leather gloves and long clothes.In fact, we can call this iconic costume the Italian interpretation of that century of surgical masks, face shields and protector dresses used by our healthcare professionals today. This iconic Venetian mask is now called the plague doctor mask or Doctor Peste mask.
Venetians caught in the plague epidemic had previously isolated themselves from social life and locked themselves into the houses, due to the wounds on their faces and bodies. During their recovery period, they were involved in social life by wearing these masks, long dresses and gloves to hide their wounds.
In other words, the costumes and masks, we see today in that colorful and fun Venice festival; In fact, they were the accessories that the Venetians once hide their illnesses and wounds.
It is not known whether Corona epidemic accessories also turn into fashion icons over time, but many famous fashion icons have already started to interpret these new accessories in their own way.
I hope, in time, these masks, gloves that remind us of quarantine days; will be just a colorful memory like the Venice festival and will become objects we see as fashion accessories.
To reach those days as soon as possible, stay at home…
As a final note, while we have prepared such an article, let’s thank the world-famous fashion brands and our local brands, who opened their workshops to the production of masks for healthcare professionals.
Dilara Dağlı
” Moda sana kendini “sen” gibi hissettirendir.”
References: Olivia Palermo, Gucci, Vakko, Prada, Dior, RalphLauren, Giorgio Armani
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