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I Mask NY

APR.28.20


Like everyone else, PRETTY/UGLY’s work and the events planned as part of the thesis were interrupted by the Global Pandemic. Ironically the desire for fashion stopped almost overnight when the only clothing item we all seemed to need is a mask. Right now, the  global retail industry is projecting losses of over two trillion dollars, while supply chains are being disrupted in a way that they may never fully recover.







PRETTY/UGLY used this time of pandemic to experiment with a small but radical redesign - #IMaskNY. In early April, the state of New York required citizens to wear non surgical masks out of doors for public safety. PRETTY/UGLY saw this as a moment to experiment with new systems that are like Nature and circular in their design. #IMaskNY is a Zero Waste prototype using the immediate need for masks, available textile waste, and the opportunity for education about creative reuse.

#IMaskNY is PRETTY/UGLY’s way to be of service, while using the needs of this unprecedented moment to redesign understandings of  existing problems in order to mobilize people towards change. As the Governor of New York has said don’t just build back, build better.








PRETTY/UGLY WORK

click to view whole projects:


> THE MENDING Lab
> THE MATERIAL Lab
> THE DESIGNERS Workshop
> THE DAILY Dissenter
> I Mask NY