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Surgical masks are the face covering of choice in Hong Kong, preferred to high-fashion, cloth and home-made ones
- Celebrities and designer brands may be hopping on the reusable face-mask bandwagon, but in Hong Kong people still prefer to wear single-use surgical masks
- The city has one of the lowest rates of adoption of fashionable, home-made and cloth face masks, well behind Britain and the United States
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Putting on a face mask has become part of our routine. It’s one of the preventive measures, along with regular handwashing and social distancing, that people worldwide have adopted to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
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And while mask wearing makes an important health statement, some are making it a fashion one. Last month, British heritage brand Burberry became the first luxury fashion house to sell reusable face masks, releasing them in its trademark check for US$118 a piece.
Celebrities have also jumped on board. At last week’s MTV Video Music Awards show, Lady Gaga sported six extravagant masks, from a horned one by American designer Lance Victor Moore to a metallic mesh creation by Indonesian label Maison Met.
“Wear a mask,” Gaga said during an acceptance speech. “It’s a sign of respect.”
Celebrities have also taken to social media to urge people to mask up, many taking part in the #WearADamnMask challenge.
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But in Hong Kong, residents have shunned branded and reusable masks. Walk around the city, where wearing a mask in public places is mandatory, and blue disposable surgical face masks dominate, much to the dismay of environmentalists, who have raised concerns about discarded face masks piling up on beaches and nature trails.
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