An Irish Instagram star living in Berlin has told how wearing face masks has become “the new normal.”
Kay Evseeva, 25, opened up about lockdown restrictions in Germany compared to those in Ireland, saying people are “very mindful” of social distancing.
The photographer and model, from Drogheda, Co Louth, told the Irish Mirror: “It’s the new normal, the majority are wearing masks now.
“As of this week, you must wear a mask at any supermarket or on public transport if you’re still using it.”
It comes after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested similar measures regarding face masks may be introduced in Ireland as the Government considers extending our lockdown past May 5th.
But Kay says that apart from the wearing of masks, restrictions in Germany have been more lenient than Ireland’s.
"We don’t have a 2km limit, we can exercise as much as we want as long as you practise social distancing and are mindful of other people," she said.
“We can only have this kind of freedom if we play by the rules. Gyms and all of that stuff are closed.
“A lot of restaurants and cafes stayed open but just for takeaway.”
Under current German rules, you can only go out with two people from your house and can’t gather in groups of three or more.
Kay, who was born in Russia but moved to Ireland when she was a young child, decided to make the move to Berlin four years ago for a “new challenge.”
She previously worked for clothing company Abercrombie and Fitch in Dublin and studied at DIT, now TUD.
“I wanted to try something new, I had been in Ireland my whole life. Berlin is totally different,” she said.
Her family are in Ireland at the moment but she decided to remain in Germany, saying she has “made Berlin her home.”
While she’s enjoying this exciting journey from Drogheda to Berlin, she keeps in contact with her old friends and says “it’s important to remember where you came from.”
But Kay does have a family member with her in Berlin - her beloved German Shepherd Koda.
She said: “For me, he’s the best dog in the world. He’s had several health issues but he’s still loving life in Berlin. He’s a fighter.”
After her stint with Abercrombie and Fitch, she worked for the company Brandy Melville, a teenage girl’s clothes brand established in 1970, for three years.
She said: “They were a great company to work for, I did product research and product design. I’ve been to China, LA, Florence and London with them.”
Since leaving them, Kay has worked for other companies as a photographer and a social media manager.
As well as her work, Kay has built up an Instagram following of 24,000 people under the username @almostfeline.
She enjoys posting snaps and the lifestyle opportunities it affords her.
She said: “When I was studying here, I decided to try Instagram as a hobby."
While she was working for Brandy Melville, she was also modelling for them, and says she noticed her following started growing when she shared her modelling pictures.
Kay thinks it’s very important to express yourself through fashion.
“Confidence is a big thing, you should be able to wear whatever you want and express yourself through your clothing,” she said.
“I think that it’s really important to wear what’s comfortable.”
She believes it is essential to “be confident and happy with your body and to try to be unique with your styling."
Finally, she encouraged anyone thinking of moving abroad to give it a go at some stage.
She said: “It’s a new change and you have to set up a new life. It’s an adventure, just go for it, you’ll learn a lot even if you return home to Ireland after a while.”
