Condoms have gone in and out of style over the years, but they are currently experiencing a fashion revival. Designers like Jean Paul Gaultier have long viewed the condom as an intimate garment with aesthetic appeal. Now, brands are partnering with condom companies and launching innovative new products to disrupt the market.
Recent high-profile collaborations include Diesel’s capsule collection with Durex, featuring apparel with cheeky slogans. Diesel’s runway show strewn with 200,000 co-branded condom boxes made a bold statement about freedom and safe sex. Saint Laurent and Neil Barrett also sell designer condoms and cases.
Celebrities like Julia Fox and Rihanna have additionally sported condom-inspired looks, further sparking public interest. In Victorian times, condoms were customized for fit as intimate couture. The introduction of the birth control pill made condoms less essential for contraception, contributing to their decline.
However, condoms are coming back into vogue with modern design and increased concern about sexual health and hormone-free birth control. Brands like Roam offer inclusive nude shade latex condoms with less plastic waste. One Condoms has custom sizes for safe anal sex. Startups like Jems use sexy, meme-filled marketing to destigmatize condoms.
Gen Z’s openness about sex coupled with renewed worries over STIs and abortion access is also boosting condom use. Fashion can help transform condom shopping from embarrassing to chic. While some may view designer condoms as a passing fad, bold branding could ultimately help normalize safer sex.