Item 2020.100.17 - WAWWA Face Mask

Identity area

Reference code

2020.100.17

Title

WAWWA Face Mask

Date(s)

  • 2020 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1

Context area

Name of creator

(2016-present)

Administrative history

Ethical streetwear clothing brand founded by brothers Sean and Andrew Geaney in Manchester as We Are What We Are. They registered their company as WAWWA in 2018.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Black pleated organic cotton face mask with white recycled polyester WAWWA label. It has two loops made of black elasticated material to go over the head. The mask is double layered, without a pocket for a filter.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

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Conditions of access and use area

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      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Small white maker's label sewn on the top left-hand side corner.
      Made in the United Kingdom/Portugal.
      Materials: Mask 100% organic cotton with elasticated straps, label made of recycled polyester.
      Measurements:
      Width 20 cm
      Height 7.5 cm, expandable.

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      Notes area

      Note

      The mask was packed in a clear plastic bag. The pack includes a paper leaflet with product care information and safety instructions and a paper booklet with information about WAWWA.

      Note

      Undercover exhibition label:

      FACE MASK
      WAWWA
      23 March 2020
      £12
      On 23 March 2020, the day that the first lockdown began in the United Kingdom, Manchester-based menswear brand WAWWA announced they were producing face masks. Made of 100% organic cotton they could be ordered via their Instagram account. The mask is double-layered with a white recycled polyester WAWWA label.
      Made in the United Kingdom
      Cotton
      Archive no. 2020.100.17

      Note

      Undercover exhibition label:

      FACE MASK LEAFLET
      WAWWA
      March 2020
      Though it was one of the first masks produced at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in England, the WAWWA mask included one of the most comprehensive instruction sheets, complete with information on how to use the mask effectively. It also included links to research from the Netherlands and the University of Cambridge, which found that cotton masks can capture 50% of airborne particles.
      Archive no. 2020.100.17

      Alternative identifier(s)

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      Dates of creation revision deletion

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