We all know that the fashion industry would try to one-up the simple face mask needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. But I didn’t foresee LED face masks being a thing until now.
Fashion designer Chelsea Klukas of Lumen Couture created the LED Matrix Face Mask using what her company describes as “groundbreaking technology”. The mask is made of dual-layer cotton and mesh material with an LED Flex Panel, and it costs a whopping USD95 (RM404) per mask.
With LED feature, you can write your own text and draw your own designs via an app. You can also use your phone’s microphone or music tracks for equaliser effects, and use it to automatically display social distancing messages like “stand back” or “6 feet” automatically. A battery and charging cord are included as well.
However, the LED feature can affect air circulation. Lumen Couture mentions that the tech components can be removed for normal wear and better circulation, meaning you can wear the mask without the lights, too.
Klukas added that she didn’t want to appear to be trying to profit from the pandemic. Lumen Couture donated proceeds from sales of the mask through June—over USD4500 (RM19,000)— to the World Health Organization COVID-19 relief fund.
Besides the face masks, Lumen Couture also makes clothing items like jumpsuits, dresses, and skirts. Women are their target audience, but Klukas adds she’s seen more male customers than she expected.
“I think we are seeing the introduction of mask-wearing as a new form of expression. Other fashion designers are picking up on this too, I think we will start to see like the Rolex version of masks,” said Klukas.
Cloth masks like these ones aren’t medical grade masks, so leakage is likely to happen. However, according to the CDC, cloth face coverings still help slow the spread of COVID-19.
