"When I started my brand, ‘sustainable’ fashion was very beige and I wanted an alternative to that," Faulkner says. "I started using deadstock when I saw all the amazing fabrics available locally at dealers in Montréal. There is still a pretty big garment industry here and the leftovers from bigger brands are everywhere, so I use that to produce locally and keep my supply chain very short. "

Now, the balaclava is associated with not only keeping you warm, but it also has apocalyptic connotations. Its protective and concealing qualities make the headpiece nearly ominous — think Purge vibes, but make it fashion.

Racism and Islamophobia continue to contribute to negative attitudes surrounding face coverings. In Canada, there is legislation that limits Muslim communities from wearing cultural head and face coverings like hijabs and turbans. And as pandemic mask mandates have sparked discussions that racialized groups, specifically Black communities, have long experienced profiling for wearing face coverings.