Who would've thought that facekinis — those terrifying ski masks worn by many Chinese beach-goers — would one day make waves in the fashion world? 
 
 The brightly colored masks were first spotted on Chinese beaches in the summer of 2012 and have since become a common sight. They cost around $2.50 and are the stuff of nightmares. 
 
 They're especially popular among middle-aged Chinese women seeking to protect their skin from sun damage. 
 
 Beauty standards vary around the world, as we know. While some folks head to the beach for a tan, these ladies consider fair skin a sign of wealth and attractiveness. And the facekini proves they'd rather look ridiculous than bronze. 
 
 The #facekini is a thing in China. Influenced by #SpringBreakers? Do I even want to know? http://t.co/pfQaEcT47Z pic.twitter.com/clAAE05aXR — Brad Wilke (@jbwilke) October 15, 2013 
 
 Facekinis have been mocked on social media, and it's easy to see why. But at least one fashion editor reckons they could be the next big thing. 
 
 Former Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld has just published a photo shoot of models wearing facekinis and some very expensive swimsuits in her magazine, CR Fashion Book. 
 
 “While our summer beauty routines are devoted to bronzing, self-tanning, and tan-extending, in Asia, beauty-seekers are more likely to center theirs around lightening and brightening,” the editorial reads. “A tan does not signify a chic trip to Capri, but it could mean hours of hard labor spent out in the harsh sun." 
 
 #Chinese Dama make great contribution to fashion again! Do you know #facekini? Come and find your #style! pic.twitter.com/WoFZJn2jzs — EastSunnet (@Eastsunnet_) August 15, 2014 
 
 Okay, so maybe facekinis look just as weird in a high-end fashion magazine as they do on a beach. 
 
 But there's at least one reason to hope that facekinis go mainstream: skin cancer.
– Looking for hot new beachwear before the summer fades away? Then you might—or, let's face it, might not—try a facekini, one of those colorful masks that started drawing attention on Chinese beaches in 2012, Global Post reports. What first looks like a pastel terrorist hood has actually been popular among middle-aged Chinese women for its UV protection. Now, a former Vogue editor has published a photo spread of women wearing facekinis in the magazine CR Fashion Book. "A tan does not signify a chic trip to Capri, but it could mean hours of hard labor spent out in the harsh sun," says the magazine. Indeed, that's the point: The Chinese have long revered white skin as a sign that someone is too wealthy to have to work outdoors, the BBC reports. "One touch of white disguises 100 kinds of ugliness," goes an old Chinese saying. But now some big-city Chinese are picking up Western notions of beauty and even going to tanning salons. Meanwhile, Western interest in facekinis inspired 12 million comments over two days on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter: "Chinese old women are at the center of the global fashion world," said one; "It looks like bank robbers are raiding the beach," said another. (Another weird new trend: socks with sandals.)