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Creativity Cannot Be Masked

May 10, 2020

Vilnius Presented Mask Fashion Week

The streets of Vilnius streets are currently dotted with giant photos of people wearing protective masks made in a creative way. The images are part of a new project called Mask Fashion Week, which drew its inspiration from members of a Facebook group known as Mask Your Fashion.

Unlike a traditional fashion week, this project is open to everyone: the city streets have become a runway. While still adhering to safety recommendations, audiences are invited to travel the Mask Fashion Week route through the city by foot or in their cars and reflect on the role and look of the new accessory that has unexpectedly become part of our day-to-day lives. The city’s outdoor advertising stands now feature photos of masked project participants with a slogan that reads, ‘Creativity Cannot be Masked’.

Lithuanian designer Julia Janus, one of the organisers of Mask Fashion Week in Vilnius, says that new times call for new measures and new outlets for expression. “While quarantine brings isolation, which often exhausts people, creativity can be a balancing force that allows people to focus on something positive while bringing creative people closer through new bonds. We hope this project inspires even more people to be positive and creative,” says Janus, who puts a lot of emphasis on sustainability in her own designs.

“I thought it was a great idea to get creative with this new fashion accessory and encourage people to use their imagination while connecting them in a new way, which society needs now more than ever. It was nice to see fashion contribute to social impact too,” says singer and project participant Erica Jennings. “Other people’s faces are a reflection of us. When we smile, people smile back – we connect. So, our masks can also help us connect and communicate, either in a positive or negative way,” she added.

When the Government of Lithuania announced that protective face masks would become a mandatory accessory in public during the pandemic, local designers and other creative people mobilised and started making all kinds of masks. For many, this process has served as an inspiration to experiment and have fun with different mask designs.

The Mask Your Fashion Facebook group created by Janus during quarantine in Vilnius has drawn hundreds of people interested in improvising masks into beautiful accessories or expressive costumes. Even the Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius joined the initiative, sharing a photo of himself wearing a mask with a symbol of Vilnius – the iron wolf. According to legend, the iron wolf inspired the founding of Vilnius some 700 years ago.

Mask Fashion Week is taking place on the streets of Vilnius until 10 May. More information, including the exhibition map, can be found at govilnius.lt/maskweek.