Mexican designer collaborates with artisans to create ecological masks

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, designer Carla Fernández teamed up with Mexican artisans to design and produce ten different face masks.

Ten artisans from Michoacán, Colima, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero designed ten different masks .

In contrast with many other national and international brands, Carla Fernández does not exploit Mexican artisans; instead, she collaborates with them in a bid to preserve their textile heritage. Fernández's latest project is no exception.

Each artisan will receive 25% of the profits generated by the project. The rest of the profits will be used to support another 175 artisans who collaborate with the brand.

Furthermore, the masks produced by Fernández and the artisans are reusable, ecological , and hand-made . Moreover, they are 100%, hand-made, and digitally printed using ecological inks.

In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL in English, Carla Fernández said that since the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, it was important to produce reusable masks.

Moreover, she explained that the inks used to print the cotton face masks are vegetable-based.

The Mexican designer said she is now working with 25 female artisans from seven states to release a collection of embroidered masks.

You can also purchase the wood masks created by the Mexican artisans.

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Traditional masks

The ten face masks created by Mexican artisans were inspired by traditional wood masks.

The art of making masks is a tradition that is transmitted from generation to generation. These masks are worn during dances and often depict the elderly, demons, and animals.

Artisans spend at least eight days making one mask.

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Carla Fernández

Carla Fernández is a Mexican fashion devoted to preserving and revitalizing the textile legacy of indigenous and mestizo communities of Mexico.

Moreover, the brand’s vision regarding manual methods proves that ethical fashion can be innovative, avant-garde, and progressive.

The team at Carla Fernández team visits communities of artisans who specialize in handmade textiles and centuries-old indigenous techniques. Thus, the Mexico-City brand aims to preserve ancient indigenous techniques and help artisans to make a living.

In its website, the brand states that it works "with artisans from all over Mexico, that are specialized in creating textiles and handcrafts. We’ve been studying the DNA of indigenous garments and ancient techniques for a long time. We apply methods that are familiar to artisans, many of which are the same that have been used from pre-hispanic times, to create new designs."

Carla Fernández is one of the most ethical and transparent fashion houses in Mexico. The designer and her team have taken upon themselves to reinterpret and preserve ancient textiles and techniques.

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How to wash and store reusable face masks

Cloth face masks worn during the COVID-19 pandemic must be washed regularly, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Public health experts recommend wearing a mask made from cotton.

The mask should be washed every day, says Penni Watts, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Nursing.

Make sure to always remove your face mask correctly and wash your hands after touching it.

The best option is to wash the mask in the washing machine or with soap and hot water.

If you are washing your cloth face mask by hand, the CDC suggests preparing a bleach solution by mixing 5 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of room temperature water or 4 teaspoons of household bleach per quart of room temperature water.

You should check that your bleach is intended for disinfection for some of them are not. Also, never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser for safety reasons.

Soak the cloth mask in the bleach solution for 5 minutes and rinse it thoroughly with cool or room temperature water.

The mask should be completely dry before wearing it. Dry it in a hot dryer, if possible.

Watts advises storing the clean, dry mask in a new paper bag to keep it safe from germs.

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