Safe sex has gotten a makeover.
Why wrap yourself in a Duplex condom handed out at a campus health fair or a Trojan you got from a tent at Warped Tour when you can “class” up the room with a condom designed by Marc Jacobs or Chanel? Or how about a condom with the iconic lettering, packaging and glamour of a Louis Vuitton handbag? Well, there are some holes in this story.
The faux Louis Vuitton condom that took Twitter by storm Wednesday was designed by Georgia Republic architect, Irakli Kiziria. Who is he? And, where can we get one of those? Well, Kizira is not affiliated with Louis Vuitton, and as far as where to get one of the condoms, we’re as stumped as you are. And apparently, so is most of the Internet community.
The condom, intended to be released last December, made headlines after its initial announcement and is only now trending on Twitter. The condom’s official site is currently offline and Kiziria’s site, designprovocation.com, has no mention of the provocative protection. Perhaps LV has already filed a cease and desist order, there is seemingly nowhere to purchase the $68 condom. Most faux designer products find their way to consumers via suburban “purse parties” or some proverbial back-alley warehouse in Brooklyn that requires a password for entry. Somehow, buying a condom in either of these venues seems so, well, not intimate at all. (Not that convenience stores are overflowing with romantic ambiance, either.)
While the faux Louis Vuitton condom is seemingly intended to raise awareness and funding for a cause, The Foundation for AIDS Research, it does use the Louis Vuitton logo and name as a ploy to draw attention to the product and its sales — if they ever occur.
But does Louis Vuitton have a right to this money? And is it fair to tarnish, or at least manipulate, a company’s branding, image and reputation to raise awareness, even if the cause is something such as an important public health issue?
Or, is this guy just trying to make money? Or, is this even real at all?
Both Marc Jacobs and Chanel have released their own brand of condom, and a dozen from Chanel will cost you $279. That is a steep price to pay for something that is used in arguably the most awkward of moments. Fashion has honestly gone to far.
The use of condoms is centered around two ideas: Safe sex and overall pleasure. Neither of those depend on how “classy” the piece of rubber is.
Consumers have to be able to trust (and afford) the protection they’re using. Who would invest so much money in a condom that can pull this kind of disappearing act?
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