Fashion masks a hit as Indonesians and Malaysians seek style in safety

Malaysian textile and fashion designer Mohd Hafiz Drahman (right) and his worker painting customised masks using batik, a traditional Malay design technique at a studio, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak in Shah Alam. - Reuters

JAKARTA/SHAH ALAM June 27 (Reuters): With no sign of the global coronavirus threat easing anytime soon, protective masks are fast becoming fashion accessories for Indonesians and Malaysians keen to add some style and humour to healthwear essentials.

Bespoke masks are catching on in Indonesia, with customers ordering designs with their own faces printed on reusable neoprene material, some with smiling faces, or big red lips, like the one made for 46-year-old Heni Kusmijati.