Our approach is based on the belief that even the stupidest consumer is smarter than the CEO of the most successful brand, and we will never sell him bullshit. Do it right, the consumer will find you.
Our Covid19 masks for H&M sold out in a blink of an eye.
Our goal as a brand was to raise consumer awareness of issues such as - how do you market values in a world that worships external beauty? Does a fashion item have the power to rescue the wearer? How can a huge fashion company that is accused of environmental pollution and human slavery make the right move without looking cynical?
By not selling bullshit.
H&M's surplus production was transferred to small sewing shops whose business has been affected by the plague. We partnered the sewing shops with a charity that supports women who have survived prostitution and trafficking, and taught them skills they can use in the fashion market to make a living. We made each mask with two layers and two sides. Each looks different, just as the stories behind those who created them. Yet they are all hidden in the same box.
The box was designed as a clutch bag, with the mask acting as the handles. Masks will not be seen through the box, so they will be chosen based on their value and not their appearance.
The story of the mask on the box was told first-person, as if it were a diary.
Second life
The moment the package is opened I am born again.
Originally, I was a garment left on a shelf, waiting for my turn to become significant.
I have the dream and strength of a survivor who has seen it all. I will shut your mouth for your protection, but I will remind you to shout for your rights. I will hide your face but let you decide what you want to show the world: your beautiful or more beautiful side.
- A two-layer, double-sided cotton corona mask. Made with h&m's textile surplus and sewn in small, local workshops combining women who survived the prostitution and trade cycle and using tools from the fashion industry to give them a new life.
Photos taken on the pages of the ingenious book "Mixed Media" by curator Keren Bar-Gil