FACE MASK RESEARCH
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenny Leigh has engaged in a litany of face mask projects from creative design to interdisciplinary research studies. Her formalized training in functional apparel design coupled with extensive industry experience in the design and construction of accessories for the the human face and head provide unique expertise in this area.
Selected projects are listed below, and will be periodically updated as research allows.
ComPLEAT Mask
This collaborative research project to explore improvements and modifications to cloth face masks for adults was conducted by Jenny Leigh Du Puis and Katarina Goodge between 2020-2021. Iterative design concepts were mocked up and pilot tested on the researchers, with attention to materials, fit, and construction. Results of this project yielded a shaped face mask with expandable pleat under the chin and an innovative fastening system of adjustable ear loops tying behind the neck which facilitate donning, doffing, and stowage.
The video below shows the ComPLEAT mask in an early iteration stage, submitted to the department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design at Cornell University for a mask design competition in Spring/Summer 2020. Jenny Leigh and Katarina's mask design won 1st place in the competition.
