It may not win any awards for comfort, but this face shield is all the rage. No other wardrobe item makes you look like you walked straight out of a 1950s sci-fi film. Marco Canevacci and Yena Younghas, the founders of the Berlin-based Plastique Fantastique art collective, created this transparent mask by taping two hollow PVC hemispheres together. The fish-bowl-shaped shield is open source and can be replicated by anyone who wants an effective, aesthetic and funny gadget to keep the virus away. Once assembled, it can be equipped with a microphone or headset and be upgraded with a filter or ventilator.
The iSphere Mask
The Vue Shield
Minimal, elegant and with integrated sunglasses: New York designer Joe Doucet’s Vue Shield is out to make the pandemic less “uncomfortable and awkward”. He is confident this stylish and fashionable item will “encourage mass adoption of an unwanted necessity”. Doucet is currently searching for a brand or manufacturing partner to produce the shield.
The Plex’eat and the Plex’Eat Duo
Dining out is among those things many of us have missed most dreadfully during the lockdown. This pandemic-friendly dining bell now offers a wonderfully effective way to enjoy a fine meal with friends or even have a romantic rendezvous without risking infection. Hanging, transparent plexiglass cones created by Paris-based designer Christophe Gernignon allow diners in bars and restaurants to enjoy the protection of a face shield without actually wearing one. The structure is lightweight and easy to clean. Gernignon has expanded the initial concept to fit diners at a table for two, providing an intimate space for couples (Plex’Eat Duo, photo on the right).
