Students Prepare to Flaunt Condoms Down the Runway
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Designers choose condoms at first meeting for condom couture fashion show
CCAD students often work with a variety of unusual material and face multiple design challenges and for 14 students participating in Planned Parenthood’s Condom Couture Fashion Show this latest project is no different.
Each students was given 800 condoms to use in an original clothing design that will be modeled by a community leader in a fashion show on Oct. 17.
During the show the designers will be judged by local boutique owner Maren Roth, menswear designer David Swetman, and CCAD instructor Esther Chung. The garments and designs will be graded on theme, color, creativity, attractiveness, originality, technique, and concept.
The top three winners will receive scholarship money; first place is awarded $1000, and second and third $500.
This will be the second year Bridgette Stevens a junior in Fashion Design, has competed in the fashion show.
Last year Stevens designed a truly couture one-of-a-kind dress that included a matching umbrella. The ensemble incorporated hot pink, black, and white condoms, creating a zebra print pattern.
Student Bridgette Stevens structure for a hat as part of the condom couture fashion show
“Last year I spent way too much time perfecting my garment,” Stevens said. “This year I will again have a very couture garment. I am doing a hot pink gown in organza, so it will be transparent. I will hand-stitch the condoms on and gather them across the dress, it will be very sexy. I am also going to have a couture hat to complete the look.”
Although Stevens has her plan all worked out, she remembers, from last year, that condoms are not an easy material to work with by any means.
“The hardest part about working with this material is thinking through how you want your design to come across,” Stevens said. “Second is the application; it is really difficult to work with these latex critters—they don’t always want to cooperate.”
Competing along with Stevens will be freshmen Katherine Benson, Kaylene Biddle, Diana Chung, and Kailey Rinder; Fashion Design sophomores Elaine Hunt and Caroll Kern; Illustration sophomore Samantha Russel; Fashion Design juniors Kristain England, Marquis Engle, and Julie Ward; Fashion Design seniors Leah Kennedy and Krista Sison; and Interior Design senior Jocelyn Williams.
“We’re thrilled to host such a creative way to raise awareness about prevention,” said Stephanie Kight, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. “Previous years’ designs have been stunning…It’s exciting to see designers transform condoms into wearable art.”
Read about last year’s event here, and find out more information about the event and how to attend here.
Tags: Bridgette Stevens, Caroll Kern, class of 2013, class of 2014, class of 2015, Diana Chung, Elaine Hunt, Fashion, illustration, interior design, Jocelyn Williams, julie ward, Kailey Rinder, Katherine Benson, Kaylene Biddle, Krista Sison, Kristain England, Leah Kennedy, Marquis Engle, Samantha Russel, student news
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