So often, in reality competitions, my opinion differs (radically) from the judges. Re:Set, a wellbeing publication, reported here on how some Indians named Kovid have dealt with the pandemic.Given that I mused on Season 17 of the revamped Project Runway in “ Runway Redux,” I thought it reasonable to comment on the season in general and the finale in particular. The meaning of the name Kovid, which is of Indian origin and mostly used for boys, according to the ( bit.ly/3gd5bJu ), is associated with terms such as “expert”, “academic” ( bit.ly/3oq3Ceo ) and “wise“ ( bit.ly/3lDnuZL ). Earlier in November, the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention updated its previous guidance and stated that masks do not only protect others but also the wearer ( here, here ) KOVID The practice has even resulted in an Asian fashion trend known as “smog couture”, which features face masks as a fashionable accessory ( here, here ).īut the COVID-19 pandemic has made people from all around the world wear face coverings as a tool to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 ( here ). According to the article, Japanese consumers bought “$230 million in surgical masks a year, and neighboring countries facing chronic pollution issues-most notably China and Korea-have also adopted the practice”.

As reported by Quartz in 2014 here, the custom dates back to the Spanish flu pandemic in the early 20th century, but more recently “it went from seasonal affectation to year-round habit”. “In Korea, don’t they walk around with those gas masks?” she said.įor years, face masks have been commonly used in some Asian countries in response to airborne illnesses outbreaks and the increase of air pollution. In response, guest celebrity stylist Marni Senofonte ( here ) suggested he include a mask. I cannot be mad because people are curious and google me,” something that, according to Kapoor, helps his small business.ĭuring the episode, the designer also said that his style draws inspiration from Asian markets. “I genuinely think sharing the name has been a blessing. “I cannot be upset the cards were dealt to me… all I can do is make the most,” he said. Kapoor added that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, people had been calling him “a fake person/a simulation/a sell out who was ‘paid’ by the World Health Organization” and other organizations “to spread fear in people’s mind and give them a ‘warning’.” Kapoor dismissed those claims and said to “find humor in them.”Ībout sharing a similar sounding name to this year’s global pandemic, Kapoor referred to the Indian concept “kismat” or “kismet”, which is used to describe fate or destiny ( here ). The use of a gas mask was a reference to the air pollution.” Kapoor told Reuters via email that in our daily lives, “pollution is a reality that is our environment every single day. When asked about the claim, Kapoor told Reuters that he decided to include a face mask because he wanted to “put forth the issues of pollution.” He said he had been inspired by the Chipko Movement ( here ), a nonviolent social and ecological movement that was mostly led by women in rural villages in India. Reuters contacted the designer, Kapoor ( /about ), to provide more context on his design.

A breakdown of misinformation contained in the so-called “Plandemic” video can be seen in a Reuters fact check here. The term was popularized by a video that has been removed from several social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube because it contained potentially harmful medical misinformation ( here ). Other users sharing the video ( here, here ) also refer to the term “plandemic”, which is frequently used in relation to conspiracy theories that the COVID-19 pandemic is a hoax or a deliberately planned outbreak. As explained by Ohio State University here, the term refers to the “theory that the government or other higher-ups are using fictional movies or books as a mass mind control tool to make the population more accepting of planned future events.” Some users commenting on the video claim it is evidence of “predictive programming”.

The video has also been shared on Facebook ( here ), Instagram ( here ), Twitter ( here ) and YouTube ( here ). Most of the posts with this claim share a TikTok visible here that has gained over 2.7 million views as of the publishing of this check. Models present creations during the Project Runway show during New York Fashion Week, February 20, 2009.

Season 17 project runway