Louis Vuitton Also Produces Masks... Fashion Brought by COVID-19

▲Photo by actress Gwyneth Paltrow posted on SNS. It became a hot topic for wearing a product from the Swedish mask company Airinum.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jaehee] Hollywood famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow recently sparked attention by posting a photo wearing a black mask on social networking services (SNS). The mask she wore is the so-called 'luxury' mask, Airinum, a product from a Swedish company, priced between $69 and $99 (approximately 86,000 to 120,000 KRW). Despite being 60 times the price of the public masks sold in Korea, they all sold out. Airinum announced that it will suspend sales until April due to stock depletion and will accept pre-orders.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, masks have also established themselves as a fashion item.

▲Mask released by luxury brand Gucci.

The luxury brand Fendi's masks, priced in the 300,000 KRW range, also sold out despite the high price. Even without special features such as fine dust filters, the brand alone caused a sell-out situation.

As luxury brands sold rapidly despite the high prices, The New York Times (NYT) pointed out this phenomenon, stating, "COVID-19 knows no borders or social boundaries, but that does not mean social boundaries do not exist."

▲Fendi Mask

Industry experts expect that demand for related products will continue even after the end of COVID-19. Unlike Asian countries where mask-wearing was common, in North America and Europe where mask-wearing was not typical, the pandemic has popularized mask usage, and it is expected to become a fashion item.

According to the Korea International Trade Association, the mask market size is estimated to reach $3.14 billion from 2020 to 2026. The number of mask sellers has increased fivefold compared to before, approaching 20,000.

▲Louis Vuitton Mask

Earlier this month, luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Brooks Brothers announced plans to repurpose parts of their factories to produce masks, reflecting this trend.

The NYT described this phenomenon, saying, "Masks are becoming a symbol of identity, just like shoes, bags, and scarves," and "As masks move into the realm of fashion, they become 'something different.'"