14 DAY TRIAL // Gas masks have been around for decades now. However, nobody ever bothered to at least think about the possibility of giving them an extreme makeover and making them less scary. Until Israeli designer Zlil Lazarovich came along, that is.
In an interview with the press, the designer explains that she got the idea to create her so-called Social Gas Mask, a photo of which is available above, while thinking about what she and her family went through during the Gulf War.
In a nutshell, Zlil Lazarovich decided to make gas masks a tad more stylish and less disturbing to look at in an attempt to help people affected by one catastrophe or another have an easier time getting on with their lives and overcoming hardships.
“I remember the alarms, the panic, my parents putting on my mask and sitting for long periods of time in the chemically sealed room we prepared at home,” the designer explains this little project of hers in a statement, as cited by Oddity Central.
Furthermore, “These events and memories, which are not unique to myself but are also a part of the collective memory of all Israelis, made me realize how important it is to maintain a sense of normality even in the most stressful times.”
Since the end goal was to make people feel more at ease while experiencing especially stressful circumstances, the Israeli designer created her stylish gas masks in such ways that they show more of a person's face than regular ones do.
Thus, as noticeable in the photo above, the Social Gas Masks reveals not just an individual's eyes, but also their eyebrows and upper cheeks. Besides, the mask itself resembles a smiley face. Hence, folks should have an easier time interacting with one another.
“The large window allows to show a greater range of facial expressions by exposing the upper cheeks, eyebrows and full width of the eyes area. The wide, cheeky shape of the filters gives the impression of a wide, healthy and happy face instead of a long, skeleton-like one.”
“As opposed to current masks that often hide the user’s face, restrict communication and facial expressions, and look like an alien, the Social Gas Mask has a number of features designed to offer an empowering image and a positive experience,” the designer explains.
For the time being, Zlil Lazarovich has not begun commercial production of these stylish gas masks. Thus, the Social Gas Mask is, at least for now, merely a concept. It is unclear whether or not such masks will be made available to the public sometime in the not-so-distant future.