With no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic, it looks like protective face wear is here to stay.
But who says it can’t be stylish?
Throughout the pandemic, designers have been releasing their take on face masks – luxury versions include Off-White’s popular $95 Arrow logo face mask and Burberry’s vintage check cotton design, retailing for £90 ($115).
And now, Louis Vuitton is taking it a step further, releasing a luxury face shield that’s designed to be “both stylish and protective,” the French fashion house said in a statement.
The “eye-catching” LV Shield transitions from clear to dark in sunlight, protecting wearers from the sun. It also features golden studs engraved with Louis Vuitton’s brand name and an elastic, monogrammed headband. The visor can also be worn upward as a classic peaked cap, according to the label.
Pricing has not yet been announced, but as a high-end fashion brand, it’s not likely to be cheap. Other Louis Vuitton head wear, including hats and sunglasses, sell for hundreds of dollars.
The face shield will be sold online and at select Louis Vuitton stores starting on October 30.
In April, Louis Vuitton joined the global effort to make personal protective equipment to support health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic. The company said it had repurposed several of its workshops across France to “produce hundreds of thousands of non-surgical face masks” for health care workers.
The brand also said it was donating thousands of hospital gowns to six Paris hospitals in urgent need of protective gear.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not currently recommend the use of face shields as a substitute for masks, as it is not clear what level of protection they provide.
