Viral fad

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ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY: On Amazon.com, plain old swine masks are the No4 must-have women's accessory, ahead of bras.

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American graphic designer Irina Blok plans to fight swine flu with the power of design designer masks.

On her website, she says: "This would make a good Mother's Day gift, if your mother has a sense of humour about the situation."

However, the price is nothing to sneeze at. Blok hopes to sell her masks for US$10 (NZ$17.50) plus postage and handling, but proceeds will go to the humanitarian organisation Children International.

On Amazon.com, plain old swine masks are the No4 must-have women's accessory, ahead of bras.

Not surprisingly, fashion designers are itching to get their hands on this viral fad, with industry insiders saying at least one fashion house is creating jewel-encrusted options for its wealthy clientele.

The fashion conscious in Hong Kong are sporting knock-off surgical masks with brand names like Gucci, Versace, Hello Kitty and adidas and Nike.

The pirated masks were reportedly retailing for a quarter of the price of standard white ones, but one customer was quoted as saying: "They're less effective but I may as well look good before I get it."

Kiwis are slow to catch onto the trend. However, for $500 on TradeMe you can buy an artwork called John Key has Swine Flu, or swine survival kits from $10 to $50, or a T-shirt urging everyone to put a mask on your pig.

- © Fairfax NZ News