Commercially available children’s cloth masks range widely in material type and fabric structures, methods of construction, layering, and shape, and there is a lack of sizing systems, anthropometric data or guidelines specifically targeting the fit assessment and design of cloth face masks for children 4-6 years old. To better identify and understand the cloth face mask fit and functional needs of children ages 4-6 years old, the researchers embarked on interdisciplinary in-depth study to investigate commercial market offerings of children’s face masks, identify consumer perspectives, and explore mask design improvements through design research. By triangulating results from survey feedback, commercial market content analysis, and wear trial observations, the researchers were able to identify important design criteria that can be used in the improvement of children’s cloth face mask design: size, comfort, dexterity, movement, and thermal comfort. These criteria were used to iteratively develop new mask prototypes involving a 3D printed head form, traditional sewing and hand patternmaking skills, and the creation of multiple mask versions to explore the design criteria listed above. The designs were interpreted through Bye’s (2010) Problem-Based Design Research (PBDR) framework, which identifies common design research practices in the field on a spectrum and situates PBDR as a process centered on a problem as impetus for design through which artifacts are developed.

Curated exhibitions are places where research practice, creative design, storytelling, and aesthetics converge. In this article, we use the term “fashion exhibition” to refer to the organized display of extant dress-related items within museums or other public spaces. Curation, as a form of creative design research, produces numerous outcomes including museum exhibitions, digital archives, and associated publications; however, our field has not yet established a method to peer review fashion exhibitions. In this article, we build upon the work of previous scholars to propose criteria for evaluating fashion exhibitions. In doing so, we aim to elevate the scholarly status of fashion exhibitions, particularly those mounted by modestly funded institutions, and use the recent fashion exhibition, “Women Empowered: Fashions from the Frontline,” as an example to illustrate our argument.

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The second component of this three-paper series studying cloth face masks for children ages 4 to 6 years old concentrates on optimizing aerosol capture and air permeability through fabric selection. Material choices were evaluated in two modes: Flat Filter (FF) and Head Form (HF). FF isolates material factors while HF simulates the performance of the constructed masks on a 3D printed child head form. In FF mode, higher filtration efficiency correlated to lower air permeability in both reusable commercial and experimental face masks regardless of fiber contents, fabric structures, and number of layers. Our prototype face mask developed in design exploration successfully captured 37 ± 12% of 0.3 μm, 87 ± 3% of 0.5 μm, and 87 ± 2% of 1.0 μm particles while maintaining good air permeability, moisture capture, and aerosolized salt capture in HF mode. Sealing masks to minimize outward leakage reduced particle capture up to 64%. Particle leakage data captured at the eye level of the head form illuminated the synergy between mask design, material choice, and fit.