Artist makes dresses out of condoms to raise awareness of HIV
Bringing a whole new meaning to ‘the sheath dress’, a Brazilian artist has created a collection of clothes made completely from expired or damaged condoms.
Adriana Bertini, 43-year-old artist from Sao Paulo, created ‘Condom Couture’ to provoke conversation and prod young people into making sure they always use adequate contraception.
She said: “I want my art to be everywhere reminding people of the necessity of prevention when you have sex.”
Her collection can currently be seen at the International AIDS Conference in Australia, but in the past have been thrust into the spotlight thanks to fashion shows all around the world.
One dress has a fitted bodice formed of hundreds of overlapped condoms, fastened up with a ribbon.
If you want to slide into something more comfortable, there is a bikini with feathers crafted from rolled-up condoms, all done in the colours of the Brazilian flag.
However, you can’t just roll down to the shops to buy some of Bertini’s clothes – the garments are only made to be art pieces.
“I don’t make gowns to be worn,” she said, “I use their shape to translate what I feel.”
Bertini also leads workshops which teach Brazilian students how to cut up, dye and pin together the condoms into the unusual creations.
