Photo Source: UCLA Magazine

And people wonder why I love the web so much. While researching an earlier blog The Condom Carnival, I stumbled upon photos of dresses, haute couture dresses, made out of condoms.

Yes. condoms.

Adriana Bertini is a Brazilian artist who has turned rejected condoms into her media of choice. The dresses she creates are absolutely spectacular. Last year she brought a sample of her collection to UCLA's Fowler Museum for a show called Dress Up For AIDS:

Dress Up Against AIDS, at the Fowler, features 14 magnificent garments by Brazilian artist Bertini, made entirely of condoms rejected by industry quality tests. By appropriating an object of protection and using it in a surprising way -- to create colorful, sensual clothes -- Bertini seeks to raise awareness of and inspire the use of condoms, the critical vehicle for preventing HIV transmission.

"Art has the unique power to educate memorably about HIV prevention -- Bertini's condom dresses are simply unforgettable -- and to reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS, which public health experts around the world agree are the biggest challenges we face," explains David Gere, director of the Art | Global Health Center and co-chair/associate professor in World Arts and Cultures.

Artist Eva Hesse comes to mind when I see Bertini's more sculptural work. These dresses though are in a whole different category. The one in this post has almost 5,000 condoms. Others have exceed the 15,000 mark.

Here's another example of Brazil making AIDS awearness fun, sexy and just beautiful.