With breathing masks on, fashion brigade catwalks against pollution

Dubai - Designers are using breathing masks as accessories to raise awareness against alarming levels of pollution in Delhi.

Over the weekend, Indian fashion designer Gaurav Gupta put up pictures of his catwalk collection with one new added accessory: a breathing mask.

These masks had been digitally produced, as Gupta was trying to encourage his followers (he has over 53,000 followers on Instagram) to join him at Jantar Mantar for a march against pollution, held on Sunday.

The hashtag to these pictures was simple #HelpDelhiBreathe.


A few weeks earlier, Indian designer Manish Arora, who is now based in Paris, presented his couture collection in Delhi and his accessory of choice was a specially designed Vogmask. These patented masks come with filters to help you breathe, and Arora collaborated with the company to bring out a signature mask, which had all the vibrancy you expected from the designer. Of course, there is more to these masks than an accessory -- fashion is using the catwalk to make their statement against pollution.

Says Gupta, "Air pollution in Delhi and other parts of India is at fatal levels. I believe there should be a lot more awareness about this. I am shocked there is not a red alert declared yet. Beijing declared and their count of particulate matter (fine pollutants suspended in the air) is far less than Delhi's. I used these images to promote the March and raise awareness." He was not alone. Accessory designer Karishma Jalani and fashion blogger Miss Malini also posted pictures on their social media accounts.


Sunday's #HelpDelhiBreathe March came as Delhi government's odd-even traffic formula ended after a two-week trial run. Experts on the subject like Anumita Roychowdhury from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Sunil Dahiya from Greenpeace India and Parthaa Bosu from Clean Air Asia spoke at the event attended by about a 1,000 people. Representing the fashion industry where Gupta, Jalani, Ashish Soni and photographer Charudutt Chitrak, among others.

Though Soni commented, "Fashion comes later, I feel its more important for citizens to take note of this massive problem," perhaps the breathing mask just may become the next statement accessory. After all fashion is all about reflecting what is happening, and it seems pollution in the Delhi has just become a way of life.


sujata@khaleejtimes.com

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