The ceiling lights flashed and the bass pumped as models strutted down the catwalk at the Condom Fashion Show last year, in outfits ranging from tiered condom skirts and dresses to rainbow swimsuits and pink lingerie.
When University student Malaea Relampagos walked back to her dorm last year with more than 500 condoms in her arms, her neighbors’ curiosity were satisfied after seeing her strutting down the runway at the Condom Fashion Show. This year, Relampagos, who is now a sophomore, has spent more than three hours working on her costume, which will be a tiered dress made of multicolored condoms.
Relampagos got involved with the show last year when she saw a flyer for the event at her dorm, and then signed up with a friend at the Cultural Forum.
“I think that the Condom Fashion show is a fun and innovative way to educate people and make them aware about condom usage. I can personally say that I feel way more comfortable about condoms after unwrapping almost a thousand of them for my dress,”
Relampagos said.
The annual Condom Fashion Show, presented by the Cultural Forum, has been going on for three years now in celebration of World AIDS Day, which is Tuesday, Dec. 1. The Cultural Forum has collaborated with other groups on campus, such as the Women’s Center, Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team and the LGBTQ alliance to put on this year’s Condom Fashion Show, which takes place at 7 p.m. Friday in the EMU Ballroom.
Senior and Cultural Forum receptionist Michelle Haley has participated in the Condom Fashion Show since it began.
“Everyone in the office talked about it and we all thought it would be a good idea to celebrate World AIDS Day in a fun and educational way,” Haley recalled.
A typical costume for the show consists of more than 15,000 condoms, with outfits including everything from swimsuits and lingerie to dresses and earrings — all made out of condoms.
“I find it easier to use swimsuits or lingerie as a base and then attach the condoms, so the outfits fit better and there’s less chance of any wardrobe malfunctions on the catwalk,”
Haley said.
Haley’s sister, ’09 University graduate Melissa Haley modeled a pink and black condom swimsuit at last year’s event. Michelle Haley has made six outfits for the Condom Fashion Show over the last three years, including three lingerie sets.
The Condom Fashion Show creates an entertaining event to help people become more comfortable with condoms, and focuses on raising awareness and education about World AIDS Day. The event will also feature educational skits in between sections of the fashion show, with DJ Food Stamp handling the music.
“The Condom Fashion Show is a creative way for people to get used to handling condoms and to talk about awareness of issues without it being depressing. It’s still a memorial of people that have died of AIDS, but it’s also a celebration of life,” Michelle said.
Sophomore Dylan Loigman, assistant coordinator for the Cultural Forum, helped coordinate the event and will organize backstage at the show.
“What’s really cool about the Condom Fashion Show is that it’s very cooperative with other University groups to get involved with the event. Last year, it was my first show as a freshman, and we had a huge turnout and it was really successful, so I’m really looking forward to seeing this year’s crowd,” Loigman said.
When Michelle first became involved with the Condom Fashion Show, she didn’t know anything about World AIDS Day.
“The show took a subject that I wasn’t that knowledgeable in and now I’ve become more comfortable with the topic, and even after I’m not a student in Eugene I will still be conscious of the holiday and raising awareness for AIDS,” Michelle said.
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