Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

A Japanese company that made lacy bra face masks as a joke was amazed when they sold out instantly.

The lingerie label Atsumi Fashion which is based in the city of Himi in Japan decided to make the face mask range using surplus material they had from making bras which have not been selling while people were on lockdown.

The lacy lingerie that the company makes includes bras and 125 of these were then cut in half and modified to became the raw material for their first 250 face masks.

And when the company saw that all 250 had sold out as soon as they were put on sale on Atsumi Fashion’s online store, Lingerie Lab, and the Rakuten online marketplace, they decided to turn it into a serious business.

They have now extended the initial range to include face masks made from different bras and in different colours, and have even hired their first model, famous Japanese celebrity Aya Kondo, to publicise the range.

They have been on sale now since the weekend with each face mask costing 1,490 JPY (11.20 GBP) which is exactly half the price of a standard bra in the country.

Japan has experienced a severe shortage of masks with many companies working in other areas modifying output to produce face masks and other protective items.

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