"When I started my brand, ‘sustainable’ fashion was very beige and I wanted an alternative to tha...

Now, the balaclava is associated with not only keeping you warm, but it also has apocalyptic connotations. Its protective and concealing qualities make the headpiece nearly ominous — think Purge vibes, but make it fashion.

Racism and Islamophobia continue to contribute to negative attitudes surrounding face coverings. In Canada, there is legislation that limits Muslim communities from wearing cultural head and face coverings like hijabs and turbans. And as pandemic mask mandates have sparked discussions that racialized groups, specifically Black communities, have long experienced profiling for wearing face coverings.