Inspired by the global scare over the novel coronavirus, a Croatian fashion designer has launched his own “cheerful” collection of antiviral masks.
They offer no protection against the disease which continues to spread around the world, but that has not put off buyers.
“The idea for a designer mask was spontaneous,” Zoran Aragovic, owner of the BiteMyStyle brand, says.
“Every morning while having coffee we were commenting on the coronavirus and lack of masks. “I was joking that I would make a colourful, cheerful mask, like my fashion creations, and put it on my Instagram,” says the 39-year-old from Zagreb.
Aragovic’s cotton mask, inspired like his clothes by Disney characters, pop art and comic books, immediately sparked interest across the country.
Dozens of the masks, which cost around €9 (US$10), have been sold since he started production some two weeks ago and people continue to order them, the designer says.
“These are not medical masks but cheerful fashion accessories,” Aragovic stresses.
He believes that the best way to fight against fear of the virus is with positivity.
Croatia has registered nine cases of the virus which has infected more than 100,000 people in over 80 countries and territories and killed more than 3,000.
