Intense full-face mask 'not only protects your health, it protects your identity'
Bonus: With the Blanc mask, you also get to cosplay as Daft Punk or a faceless robot.
- Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
You can see out, but they can't see in.
If your futuristic fantasies have ever included a mask that protects you from germs while fully protecting your identity, say hello to Blanc, a full-face modular mask that lets you walk around looking like a faceless robot or a member of Daft Punk.
The wild mask protects your eyes, nose and mouth from the outside world while ensuring the outside world can't see a single millimeter of your mien.
"Keep your identity secure behind its opaque changeable front panels," says the Kickstarter campaign for the project, which has blown past its $20,000 goal on the crowdfunding platform, exceeding $260,000 with 36 days to go.
Blanc filters air through two reusable and replaceable FDA-approved HEPA filters. But Blanc's international team, which includes product designers, engineers, scientists and marketing specialists, says it wants to offer users more than just safety in these COVID-19 times. (Read more about the best and worst mask materials for protecting against coronavirus.)
The headgear, which calls itself a "thousand masks in one," has swappable panels, clipped to the frame and held by magnets, that let you adjust the look to channel your mood and match your outfit. You could opt to encase your head in stripes, a leopard print or a camouflage pattern, for example, or go with classic silver for a more Mandalorian vibe. The black-and-white combo gives the mask a distinctly PlayStation 5 je ne sais quoi.
"Express your creativity whether you are taking a walk in the park, sitting in front of your computer at the office, or enjoying your evening with friends at a club," the Kickstarter project says.
The mask is available for preorder on Kickstarter now at reward levels starting at $79 (about £60, AU$105). The product is expected to ship to anywhere in the world in March of 2021, though co-founder Philipp Egorov, an IT expert based in Moscow, told me the team is pushing for a mid-February rollout.
The response to Blanc has been overwhelming, Egorov says, with particularly high levels of interest out of Japan.
"We're getting tons of controversial feedback though," Egorov added. "I personally love the recent 'Can I both love and hate it?' commentary from the Australia-based backer who ended up buying three masks."
Do keep in mind, of course, that not all crowdfunding projects deliver on time and as promised. And that in some situations, it's helpful for people to be able to see your eyes.
