African stylists turn mandatory masks into fashion accessories
A combination of photos shows women posing for pictures with face masks on, following the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
A woman is seen with a fabric face mask on, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Abuja, Nigeria. Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde.
Nigerian style influencer Angel Obasi, 24, poses for a picture with a fabric face mask on, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
A model of Arthur Bella N'guessan, an Ivorian designer, poses as she wears a protective face mask with colors matching her clothes, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Angre area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters/Luc Gnago.
Arthur Bella N'guessan, an Ivorian designer, and a young model pose as they wear protective face masks with colors matching their clothes, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Angre area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters/Luc Gnago.
A woman poses for a picture with a fabric face mask on, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
Nigerian fashion stylist Sefiya Diejomoah, 35, poses for a picture with a blinged-out face mask on, with colours matching her clothes, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
Nigerian style influencer, Angel Obasi, 24, poses for a picture with a fabric face mask on, with colours matching her clothes, following the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/ Temilade Adelaja.
Nigerian style influencer, Angel Obasi, 24, poses for a picture with a fabric face mask on, with colours matching her clothes, following the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
Fashion designer Sophie Zinga poses with a face mask, which she designed as a protective measure to stem the growing spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at her workshop in Dakar, Senegal. Reuters/Christophe Van Der Perre.
A tailor, wearing a protective face mask matching his shirt, works at the workshop of fashion designer Sophie Zinga, in Dakar, Senegal. Reuters/Christophe Van Der Perre.
Fashion designer Sophie Zinga poses with a face mask, which she designed as a protective measure to stem the growing spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at her workshop in Dakar, Senegal. Reuters/Christophe Van Der Perre.
A tailor, wearing a protective face mask matching his shirt, works at the workshop of fashion designer Sophie Zinga, in Dakar, Senegal. Reuters/Christophe Van Der Perre.
A man looks on as he wears a protective face mask with colors matching his clothes, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Angre area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters/Luc Gnago.
A mannequin wearing a protective face mask with colors matching its clothes is pictured at the worksop of Arthur Bella N'guessan, an Ivorian designer, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Angre area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters/Luc Gnago.
A woman poses for a picture with a fabric face mask on, matching with her hat, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
Arthur Bella N'guessan, an Ivorian designer, looks on as he wears a protective face mask with colors matching his clothes, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Angre area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters/Luc Gnago.
Nigerian fashion stylist Sefiya Diejomoah, 35, poses for a picture with a blinged-out face mask matching with her clothes, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
A woman wearing an hijab poses for a picture with a fabric face mask on, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Abuja, Nigeria. Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde.
A model of Arthur Bella N'guessan, an Ivorian designer, poses as he wears a protective face mask with colors matching his clothes, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Angre area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters/Luc Gnago.
A model of Arthur Bella N'guessan, an Ivorian designer, looks on as she wears a protective face mask in colors matching her clothes, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Angre area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters/Luc Gnago.
Nigerian fashion stylist, Angela Innocent, 38, poses for a picture with a fabric face mask matching her hat, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
Uche Helen, a Nigerian student, 17, poses for a picture with a fabric face mask matching her head-band, following the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
A woman poses for a picture with a fabric face mask on, following the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Temilade Adelaja.
Many African countries have made it compulsory to wear masks in public to prevent the spread of the sometimes fatal Covid-19 respiratory disease.
Fashion lovers in the continent's biggest cities are combining style and safety by donning colourful masks, sometimes coordinating the fabric with their outfits.
The push to make masks stylish has taken off in other parts of the world. In Africa, the trend is proving a boon to local tailors and designers who are making the masks.