Mask shops & things that caught my eye this week

Mask Shops In Hong Kong

Mask shops have now become a thing. When I lived in Hong Kong, you would buy your masks from the local pharmacy chain store depending whether you were near a Watsons or a Mannings. It was good form among locals to wear a mask when you felt unwell; particularly with cold like symptoms. COVID-19 drove the importance of masks. With this has come dedicated mask shops.

New mask companies sprang up to deal with the need for locally made trusted, good quality masks. Mask Lab built their own factory in the leased space of a former garment factory, now vacant due to the deindustrialisation of Hong Kong with China’s opening up. Mask shops started in residential areas with lower retail rents alongside online sales.

Mask Lab shop

Now these businesses have managed to move into flagship retail locations. Looking at this photo Mask Lab seems to be in the Central district of Hong Kong, close to luxury retail stores and the high-end Landmark shopping mall. More related posts here.

Mattel collaboration with Stüssy

Mattel collaboration - Stüssy magic eight ball

The eight ball motif has been a design staple for Stüssy since at least the late 1980s. It was only a matter of time before they did a collaboration with Mattel – maker of the Magic Eight-Ball. There is a capsule clothes collection and a co-branded magic eight ball with a special dice inside it. Magic “8” Ball™ Tee – Mattel Collaboration | Stussy 

Climate crisis font

Climate crisis font | Helsingin Sanomat – is a lovely free font that visualises the impact of climate change. Helsingin Sanomat is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland.

Appalachian Mountain Music

David Hoffman shot this great documentary on Appalachian mountain music and one of its prime advocates during the early to mid-20th century. The film’s protagonist Bascom Lamar Lunsford collected and promoted Appalachian mountain music and dance in poetry and storytelling.

Bandulu

Bandulu Street Couture use customised embroidery on Nike and Nike ACG garments that is sympathetic to the base garments. In their own words:

‘Bandulu means fake, bootleg, ghetto. Like that white tee from Marshall’s with the name of some couturier, screenprinted in gold. That little bit of luxury gives clothing a story, with or without vanity. Bandulu believes in adding this quality to the clothes of our world, through upcycling and craftsmanship. Bandulu takes quality, vintage clothing and rejuvenate life into them through hand embellishments. Quality therefore becomes less about reputation, and more about integrity. You know its real if its fake.’

Bandulu Street Couture