'Facekini' has its moment in fashion spotlight

"It is interesting that Chinese ladies are trying to keep the whitest skin possible, just like French ladies did in the 1930s," she said, noting that in the West, fashionable women try to get as tan as possible.

With French ladies wearing the same masks at the beach 80 years ago, "this is like a cycle of fashion," she said.

"People also gave various interpretations to my pictures and the masks. Some of them thought the mask was strange, some thought it beautiful, some thought it was for Muslims."

Although Utzmann had taken Chinese in high school, she said this was the first time she has borrowed ideas from Chinese culture.

"I totally will consider more Chinese elements in the future," she said.

A model wears a "facekini" during a photo shoot. [Photo/CR Fashion]