Condoms on the Catwalk
author: kaitlynn nordal | staff writer
Styling and profiling / Jeremy Davis
Putting the rubber to the road
For those lucky enough to go to Condoms on the Catwalk on the night of Saturday, September 8, it was an experience they are not soon to forget.
Condoms on the Catwalk was a fashion show featuring all local designers, but with one twist – all their designs had to be made out of condoms to raise not just money, but awareness for Planned Parenthood Regina. It was also a way to start a dialogue about sexual education and sexual health.
In the show was Dean Renwick of Dean Renwick Design Studios based in Regina, Laurie Brown based out of Toronto, Prahsik by Janis Procyk based in Regina, SOVA Millnery Design by Sherri Hrycay based in Saskatoon, Matthew Donnelly based out of New York, and Matheiu Bartieum.
As Planned Parenthood office manager Kathrine Pahl-Yeo said, “An event like this is really important because it’s fundraising for our clinic to be able to continuing what we do. The money we raised will be going to help get more supplies such as pregnancy tests, birth controls, and help with our costs for things like sending our devices away for reprocessing (sterilizing). It also allows us to get more practitioners to our clinic.”
Sherri Hrycay of SOVA Millnery Designs first got involved when she received an invite from Planned Parenthood regarding recreating a headpiece of condoms.
“That got my attention,” she said.
Hrycay decided to get involved because she is always up for a challenge and “this was certainly different than my usual headpieces.”
Designer Matthew Donnelly got involved when Eye Inspire Events approached Dean Renwick Design Studio to make something with condoms for a Planned Parenthood fundraiser, and they were excited about this challenge, as well. Donnelly also got involved because he believes “Planned Parenthood is such an important organization.”
“When I was in high school, I was a member of the PPR youth group Youth Education About Health (YEAH) spearheaded by Christine Bilinski. I loved being a part of it and so it felt really great to have another opportunity to help in a way that uses my skills.”
He recalled Donnelly’s inspiration for this event came from another event he was involved in a few years ago called Inside: Out.
“Regina audiences have never really seen these pieces and I thought it was the perfect time. One of the dresses, called The West Side Story Dress, inspired my condom dress. I used a similar pattern/shape but from a shower curtain and then collaged condoms on top. The collaging also relates to the denim collaging in the third look of the collection.”
For him, this particular collection stood out because “this collection was made at a time in my life where I was really liberated and independently telling my own story. It was a very authentic and transformational process. There’s a lot of detail that went into the pieces – but they don’t read or wear as overworked. They are fun, colourful, flirtatious, but also strong statement pieces.“
Donnelly all together had three looks on the catwalk. When asked, he said he believes events like this are significant because “we need to keep our conversations going always about our health, our bodies, our boundaries and how to best navigate all the feelings and facts. I think events like this perpetuate these conversations, and with a little humour added, makes them easier to talk about and to keep talking about them.”
Michelle Lozinski got involved with the event, as she is an event planner Eye Inspire Events who PPR contacted to help put the event together.
“Lozinski, who spent ten months planning the event, thought ‘it was a fantastic idea, and I really believe in Planned Parenthood Regina and the work they do in the community. I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of an event that was so unique and ground breaking.’”
Lozinski also believes events like this are significant “because they bring the community together to support an organization to, not only raise money, but also awareness for organizations that do such great work in Regina.” and that they are “significant because they are unique and peak the interest of the public to not only get involved, but also to support an organization like Planned Parenthood Regina.”
To learn more about Regina’s Planned Parenthood and what they do head to plannedparenthoodregina.com or call (306) 522-0902.