Over the weekend, I had the privilege of exhibiting my looks from past collections at the École Publique Emerald Masquerade in Montréal. It really inspired me to see a younger generation of individuals coming together to produce an event that showcased a large spectrum of art and celebration of being.
Masquerade masks have always been a staple in my collections for as long as I can remember. I adore the process of designing them from scratch and due to it’s small nature compared to a garment, I have more time to incorporate heavily detailed elements into each mask. The night before the showcase, I had decided I was going to design a mask in theme of my FW19 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE collection to wear throughout the night.
Here are a few behind the scenes photos from my sewing desk during production.
More is more is always my motto when designing masks. I began my process using vintage leather I had in my scrap bin to cut out the base shape. Afterwards, I trimmed the edges and eyeholes with excess silver and black zippers I had laying around to give it the signature look my FW19 line has. After this, I included two types of flash reflective materials above the eyes and down the center of the mask. To hand stitch silver chains through leather and zipper trim is the most difficult part of this project but most worth it. To finalize the vision, I added three prismatic silver spikes on the sides and centerfront of the mask. The finished product can be seen below.
Thank you for reading this special edition blog! I can’t wait to debut the FW19 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE line on October 21st, 2019 with this mask as a new addition!
(Above)? Ava Tobias
-Stevie