Story and Photos by Katherine Marrone
Strutting down the catwalk at the EMU Ballroom on Thursday evening were models showing off fashion for all shapes, sizes, and styles. The pieces were created by the models themselves and were unique, innovative, stylish, and made completely out of shiny, colorful, stretchy, rubbery…condoms.
When I first saw an advertisement for the “Condom Fashion Show,” I was confused. What did it mean to have a fashion show of contraception? Would the condoms be decorated on bananas? Would there be fingers adorned with brightly-colored condoms? Would there be a group of fashionistas enveloped in latex?  I wasn’t far from the truth.
Arriving at the show, I first noticed the host, “Scarlett Ecstasy,” in a sparkly dress, platform shoes, and a wig. “Can I get a little something-something?” was her mantra of the night, and there was an unashamed glamour in the air–a seductive quality already achieved within the first few minutes of this spectacle of latex.
It was the UO Cultural Forum’s 5^th Annual Condom Fashion Show, created in order to honor World AIDS Day. Its message- to practice safe sex- was heard throughout the EMU Ballroom through skits, public service announcements from the 80s, and dresses, skirts, and underwear made from hundreds of latex condoms.
The UO Peer Health Educators performed skits to demonstrate the proper use of condoms and dental dams, one of which male students were enveloped in “human-sized” condoms, and later referred to as “condom men.” These men, draped in condoms of grand proportions, demonstrated the importance of contraception during sex.
PSAs from the ’80s also helped promote the event’s message of safe-sex and AIDS awareness, one of which featured a young Neil Patrick Harris, who stressed the importance of contraceptive use for the prevention of the spread of AIDS. Another PSA included a talking condom which proudly advised, “Don’t leave home without me; if you do, it’s your funeral.”
The Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team also performed a skit, acting as sexual super-hero characters such as, “Fetish Girl,” “Dildo Girl,” “Dr. Condom,” “Tube-Lad,” and “Dental Dam Woman.” Each expressed his or her own purposes, and whether it was “protecting genitals and mouths from sexual diseases” (Dental Dam Woman), or putting the” ‘slip’ in slip-in-slide” (Tube-Lad), the team’s message was clear and effective: just because practicing safe-sex is serious, doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
“I loved how they used humor to reach the audience,” said UO student Julia Cunningham. “Practicing safe sex can be an awkward topic, so I believe they effectively communicated their message through their laid-back and upbeat attitude.”
Safe-sex wasn’t the only message expressed by the show: audience members also learned that there isn’t only one way to wear a condom. Down the catwalk were students wearing festive Christmas sweaters adorned with red and green condom “trees,” evening gowns of red and white latex, and even vests and headbands made out of condom wrappers. These gleaming sights of rubber aimed to spark the audience with latex enthusiasm.
At the end of the show, the best fashion models were chosen by an “applause-o-meter,” and then rewarded with a big bag of condoms. Afterwards, the host reassured them that whether the supply lasts “a long time or a short time, either way is fine.” The ballroom’s atmosphere was fresh, non-judgmental, and bright with condoms.
Savannah Euler, a UO student whose evening gown of rubber made her the winner of the fashion show, described her experience, “It took me a long time- about a month- to make this dress. I love to dress up, though, and I believe this event holds a great message… besides, we don’t need any more babies.”
The 5^th Annual Condom Fashion Show at the UO was an hour filled of skits demonstrating safe-sex practices, AIDS awareness and colorful fashions of latex. With its humorous nature and entertaining demonstrations, the Condom Fashion Show taught its audience members that practicing safe-sex is not only fun, but vital in the prevention of AIDs and other sexually-transmitted diseases.
Another lesson learned? Condoms’ uses are wide and varied.
As Scarlett Ecstasy would say, “Can I get a little something-something?”
 
 
 
 
 
 

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