“Our foreseeable future is a masked one. Already, I recite a new mantra when I leave my home, lest I forget one of four essential items: “Keys, wallet, phone, mask.”

The initial rush to produce as many simple-but-effective face coverings as possible (most notably, to address personal protective equipment shortfalls for front-line workers and medical personnel) was necessary and generous. But as panic subsides into a baseline of healthy, responsible caution, there’s more room for creativity. Yes, we wish we didn’t have to wear them, but it’s time to embrace masks as an expression of personal fashion.” Check out the full article on MCD’s Let’s Face It mask design competition by Sarah Hotchkiss at KQED Arts here.

Above image: A perforated leather and hand-dyed cotton mask made by artist Lauren McKeon. (Courtesy the artist)