Jane's blue and silver brocade gown, with seven godets (extra panels of fabric) made out of painted condoms that from afar resemble feathers, will float down the runway Wednesday night at Project Inform's "Evening of Hope Condom Couture" fashion show to benefit the San Francisco nonprofit AIDS/HIV advocacy charity.
Catherine Jane's gown has painted condoms done up to resemble feathers. (Mike Kepka / The Chronicle)
"It was a win-win," Jane said last week while putting the final touches on the gown.
Fashion shows aren't always about silk and taffeta; in San Francisco, ball gowns made from real food paraded down the runway at the September 2007 "Toast of the Town" fashion show to benefit the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. That show, held at the Bently Reserve Building, featured a margarita-inspired dress by Kimie Sako and her designer partner, Stephanie Verrières, who teamed up with Ashley Miller, a bartender at Tres Agaves restaurant. They used the rinds from 250 limes to make a fringy skirt.
A challenge is a challenge, whether you're using food or condoms, and Jane's condom dress was giving her grief.
