Japanese trendsetters can now protect against COVID-19 in luxurious style with opulent masks adorned with diamonds and pearls for a cool ￥1 million (US$9,578) each.
Cox Co’s Mask.com retail chain last week began selling the hand-made masks, with the aim of cheering up people and spurring sales in a fashion industry depressed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The diamond masks are embellished with 0.7-carat diamonds and more than 300 Swarovski crystals, while the pearl masks feature about 330 akoya pearls.
Photo: Reuters
“Everyone is feeling down because of the pandemic and it would be great if they could feel better by looking at one of these glittering masks,” said Azusa Kajitaka, a mask concierge at one of the company’s stores in Tokyo.
“The jewelry and fabric industries have also been in a slump because of the pandemic, and so we did this as part of a project to help revitalize Japan,” she added.
Cox, part of retailing group Aeon Co, has opened Mask.com online and in six physical locations since September, offering more than 200 types of masks starting at ￥500.
However, some visitors to the store were concerned that the million-yen masks might be out of their league.
“If I wear one of these face masks, I have to wear suitable fashion to match it. So I think it’s a bit embarrassing,” 66-year-old Mitsue Kaneko said.
The masks are still far from the world’s most expensive. That honor belongs to a US$1.5 million mask made with 250 grams of 18 karat gold by Israeli jeweler Yvel.
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