According to Jean Paul Gaultier, fashion’s most admired creation isn’t the bra but the skirt or the conical one. “My only regret is not having invented the condom, the most beautiful item of clothing,” Gaultier told a journalist following the passing of his companion Francis Menuge in 1990 following an HIV diagnosis. (The Frenchman confirmed the quote during an interview with The Guardian in 2021.)
However, Gaultier is a favorite with his corsets, and Madonna Collaborations with Madonna doesn’t have to be the only person interested in opening the personal “garment.” The use of condoms on the fashion scene is increasing with collaborations between designers and a new generation of brands trying to change a previously sluggish, frequently unattractive market by offering more inclusive, effective, and attractive designs. In his 2023 spring/summer show, Diesel creative director Glenn Martens joined forces with Durex to create an exclusive collection that quickly became a hit. Saint Laurent also sells PS5 rubbers, and Neil Barrett offers a customized condom case made of leather.
The slogan was a riff on the house, referencing the house’s motto, the Diesel collection included T-shirts in “For Successful Living,” with 200,000 condom boxes co-branded scattered on the catwalk. “The scale was meant to symbolize the significance of the topic and the continued need for communities to rally around individual freedom,” says Martinne Geller, director of media relations for Durex’s leading company Reckitt Benckiser, noting that 30,000 condoms were distributed in Diesel stores across the world in the course of this campaign.
The trend was seen on sidewalks; stunt-dresser stunt dresser Julia Fox was also photographed the last month wearing a backpack of boots a tube top, and comprised of condoms. One week later, Rihanna, who is expecting her second child, was seen smirking at Naomi Campbell’s Use a Condom tank-top by wearing an oversized T-shirt by her personal Savage x Fenty brand that carried a similar slogan.
Maybe, in a way, the contraceptive wearable is retracing its origins. In Victorian times condoms were fashionable as doctors took measurements of the wearer’s penis before placing an order for a specific size. It wasn’t until a few years after that they were transformed into a single-size, ready-to-wear product marketed to the masses.
Since the birth of the pill, the introduction of a new capsule line of contraceptives, including coils, rings, implants, and locks – has made the function of condoms, at the very least, somewhat out of date. Even though they’re fashionable in the fashion world, however, they’re becoming more unfashionable in the actual world. Their decline is due to several sources. A report for 2021 by Trojan, its parent company Church and Dwight, found that condom usage had decreased due to alternative birth control methods, less anxiety about HIV and a decline in sexual activity, and a rise in competition in the marketplace as reasons for their downfall. A UK report from 2017 revealed that a quarter of teenagers don’t use condoms for sexual relations with a new partner and that during the outbreak, there was a 40% decrease in sales all over the world.
The Saint Laurent condom costs five dollars.
But can fashion’s frenzied enthusiasm for rubber spark the rubber to resurgence? Evidence suggests it’s already in the making in the world of politics, with everything from a rogue politician to a sudden increase in STDs being a factor. An earlier survey discovered that after the decision of Roe v. Wade was thrown out in the US, 70% of those surveyed reported the likelihood was higher to use condoms. Add this to Gen Z having less than safe but still sex and growing health risks associated with hormonal contraceptives, and you’ve got an excellent foundation for a revival of condoms.
Companies trying to break the traditional taboos include the trendy brand of sex-care Roam that recently launched its first condoms for skin tone, made from Fairtrade natural latex, which is 40 percent less plastic than their counterparts and is cruelty-free and vegan.
Similarly, One Condom has released special-fit products designed for secure sexual anal.
The most fashionable brand is Jems, supported by social media posts featuring memes on “eating ass” and infographics about search terms for ethical porn, such as Y2K-style pictures and gorgeous packaging. “The goal,” co-founder Yasemin Emory, “was to create a covetable package that makes you feel comfortable checking out at the store.”
Jems has introduced its collection of Use a Condom tee, as well as a trendy crochet holder to hold rubber and a lighter.
“Gen Z is such an open and conversational generation that undoubtedly is more comfortable talking about sex than prior generations,” Emory states. “If we continue to normalise these conversations and discuss safer sex, condom use will continue to have a resurgence.”
