The Condom Fashion show on May 20 was co-hosted by the Sexual Awareness Center and VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood in the Viking Union Multipurpose room. The idea was to create an outfit featuring expired condoms. Each designer was given 1,000 condoms in a variety of different colors. The groups approached Art students first, but Nicole Enslow, a member of VOX, said after receiving negative reactions the opportunity to design an outfit was opened up to the rest of the campus. The show aimed to promote safe sex and all proceeds went to Planned Parenthood
Nicole Enslow, 19, is a member of VOX and one of the two models of VOX designed outfits, said VOX was originally going to use a male model for their outfit, but he was unable to make the meetings. The group then moved on and asked Western freshman Haley Rohl, 19, to be the model. She was interested, but was unable to participate. After the modeling opportunity was opened up to the group and Enslow and Stacy Breland agreed to model an outfit. “Basically anything VOX does is fun,” Enslow said. “I just thought I’m a freshman and I’m trying to do as much as I can my first year. And I thought that would be a really awesome fun thing to do. Especially since it was the first annual; they had never done anything like it before.”
Laura Hughes, 21, examines the finished project of a VOX sponsored condom theme dress she helped create. Hughes is the coordinator of VOX. On May 17 Enslow bought her dresses at Ross and at the next VOX meeting the group came up with ideas for the design of the dress. Hughes attached all the loose condoms and designed the headband that Enslow wore during the show. Enslow said the group did not have a plan while putting together the dress. “We were just trying things out and it ended up working out really well,” she said.
Enslow and her friend Alexi Thorn,19, prepare for the show by first straightening Enslow’s hair and then moving on to make-up. Enslow said Thorn came up to Bellingham from their hometown of Tacoma to watch the show. Thorn asked Enslow if she wanted help with her make-up before hand. The pair spent about an hour on hair and make-up before Enslow had to be at the Multipurpose room. After the show Enslow and Thorn spent Friday May 21 shopping and saw the new Sex and the City movie.
Enslow walked on the catwalk to the tunes of “Rockstar” by Prima J. Enslow said she chose the song because she danced to it while participating in the National American Miss pageant and she liked the beat. She said the song is upbeat and fun so it fit well with the idea of the show. Prior to the show Enslow had her friend Haley Rohl, who is a professional model, teach her the model walk. Rohl said the walk is about confidence. She said, “Don’t walk with the beat, but walk with the beat.” Enslow said as soon as she got on the stage all of Rohl’s teaching went out the window. Backstage waiting her turn, she said she felt nervous the entire time. After her walk on the catwalk, Enslow said her adrenaline was high, but the experience was awesome. “I was so happy that I did it and it was fun,” she said. “And I was just like ‘okay it’s over. I can’t change anything so just be happy with it.”
After the show Enslow’s friend Sarah Moran, 19, surprised Enslow with flowers and a card signed by Moran and a few other friends. Enslow said she knew a group of her friends were coming, but was surprised that they brought her flowers. The show ended around 9 p.m. which was perfect timing for Late night at the Viking Commons. Enslow said she had not eaten since breakfast because she was in class until 4:30 p.m. and then needed to get ready. She said she went to Late Night in her outfit and was the only model that she saw there wore her outfit after the show. “I saw people with outfits in their bags,” Enslow said. “I got a wide range of responses.”
