What happens when you take condoms out of the nightstand and put them on a runway? In Cleveland, you get a night of couture, creativity, community, and plenty of conversations about sexual health.

On September 20, 2026, the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland brought ONE® Project Condom to B-Side Cleveland for a free community fashion show featuring original garments and accessories created with condoms donated by ONE®. Over 75 people came to see the designs, cheer on local talent, and experience a fashion show with a very unconventional material.

TL;DR Key Takeaways:

• The AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland (ATGC) partnered with ONE® for a Project Condom Fashion Show on September 20, 2026, at B-Side Cleveland.
  

• Local designers and nonprofits transformed condoms donated by ONE® into six latex couture-inspired garments and accessories.
  

• Over 75 attendees gathered to celebrate local advocacy, enjoy creative fashion, and take home free ONE® condoms.
  

• The event used fashion and creativity to challenge the stigma and spark conversations about condom use, HIV prevention, and STI prevention.

The goal was simple: spread awareness, challenge stigma, and make conversations about condoms and STI prevention a little easier to start. 

Meet the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland

Founded in 1983, the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland (ATGC) is the oldest and largest AIDS Service Organization (ASO) in Ohio. The organization provides social and medical services to nearly 1,000 people living with HIV each year, along with HIV prevention services reaching more than 25,000 people at greatest risk of acquiring HIV.

Through its work across Northeast Ohio, ATGC integrates medical services, prevention, education, outreach, and community support as part of a coordinated response to HIV/AIDS. For Natalija Pasalic, Director of Education at ATGC, that work means no two days look exactly the same. She says: “I have the pleasure of working as the Director of Education for ATGC where I oversee testing, outreach, educational efforts, and a youth drop in center. I’m lucky to have such a fun role where each day is different! One day might mean working a booth at a community event. Another could involve providing free HIV testing at a rave.”

That daily variety is a huge part of what drew Natalija to public health advocacy. She shares that overcoming stigma, eliminating healthcare discrimination, and filling the gaps in comprehensive sex education drove her to advocate for better conversations and accessible resources across Cleveland.

“I’m passionate about advocating for these topics,” she says. That passion also made it easy to connect with ONE® to partner for Project Condom.

Beyond learning about her background, we connected with Natalija throughout the entire planning process to watch the event come to life, from the first design ideas to runway night.

ONE® Project Condom: A Different Kind of Condom Education

Natalija first discovered ONE® Project Condom while browsing the ONE® Condoms website. ATGC already provides many of its clients with ONE® Condoms, so she was curious to learn more about the brand and its community programs.

“I thought it would be a perfect event for the community that is not only fun and creative but also directly challenges stigma,” Natalija said. 

That objective is exactly what ONE® Project Condom is designed to do. The program empowers artists, organizers, student leaders, and community organizations to host their own condom fashion show using condoms donated by ONE®. Instead of starting conversations with a lecture, why not on a runway? 

When we asked her about the process of bringing condom couture to life, she shared what surprised her team along the way: "The whole process has been so fun! It's been so interesting to see all the different shapes and textures you can create with condoms," Natalija says. "We actually learned pretty quickly that hot glue doesn't work well—fabric glue is definitely the secret! To anyone thinking about organizing their own event: give yourself as much time as you can to design and plan."

That hands-on trial and error paid off. For ATGC, the vision was clear: condoms didn't have to stay hidden away – they could take center stage in an event that felt welcoming, creative, and completely fresh.

Turning Condoms Couture

Behind the scene, six show-stopping looks were brought to life around one bold theme: couture.

The goal of the event was to make condoms impossible to ignore while letting local talent run with their creative vision. Entry was open to local designers and nonprofits, with ATGC selecting participants based on concept strength and alignment with the event's core message. Community volunteers donated their time to help build a full runway experience, resulting in a show filled with distinct takes on condom couture.

Let’s take a dive into the looks!

• Gold look: designed by Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center @nuevaluzurc

• 1960s-inspired look (orange, white, pink): designed by To The Cor Designs by Coriann @tothecordesigns

• Mermaid-inspired look (blue and purple): designed by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health Love Leads Here @loveleadsherecle

• Blacklight look (harness and long coat): designed by Morgan “Goodboy”@goodboymorgan

• Mini dress (silver with condom pieces): designed by Kylee Nicole @compactdiscocleveland

• Corset look: designed by staff at the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland @clevelandtaskforce @ahfcares. All photos were done by Starboy Images @starboy.images.

A Runway With a Bigger Purpose

When asked whether "raising awareness and challenging stigma around condoms while showcasing fashion" accurately captured the event’s objective, Natalija agreed, noting that it made sexual health feel far more approachable.

“As an organization that focuses not only on HIV prevention and care but also STI prevention, this event was perfect for breaking the ice on difficult conversations about condom use and STI prevention. Plus, everyone got to leave with free ONE® condoms!” Natalija said. 

The models represented the same spirit of variety as the designs themselves, including local advocates, drag queens, and professional models. And the audience reflected that same diversity. Natalija says she was especially excited to see people of different ages, backgrounds, and cultures come together for an event that was anything but traditional.

“The whole night I was smiling ear to ear. The goal was to spark conversations and excitement around condoms,” Natalija says, “and it feels like we did just that while supporting all the local incredible talent we have.”

What's Next for Cleveland?

Cleveland's Project Condom fashion show demonstrated that sexual health education can happen in unexpected spaces. A fashion show can serve as an entry point for safer sex education, local artists can help reframe health awareness, and non-profits like ATGC can turn creative events into lasting community connections.

The runway may have been the centerpiece of the night, but the real goal was bigger: break down stigma, make condoms less awkward to talk about, and get people talking. Cleveland brought immense creativity to that conversation—proving that sexual health education doesn't have to look just one way. Sometimes it looks like a quiet chat. Sometimes it looks like a community gathering. And sometimes, it looks like condoms on the runway.

A massive thank you to Natalija and the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland, B-Side Cleveland, every participating designer and model, and everyone who helped make Cleveland's Project Condom fashion show happen. And, of course, to the Cleveland community that showed up ready to celebrate creativity, challenge stigma, and have some fun.

Bring ONE® Project Condom to Your Community

Want to turn condoms into couture? ONE® Project Condom gives community organizations the opportunity to host their own condom fashion show featuring garments and accessories crafted with condoms.

It's a chance to:

• Spark conversations about sexual health

• Challenge stigma around condoms

• Promote safer sex and condom education

• Showcase local designers and creative talent

• Bring your community together around a shared cause

Whether your event is big, small, glamorous, unexpected, or somewhere in between, there is no single way to put your own spin on Project Condom. And if Cleveland's runway is any indication, the results can be pretty spectacular. Learn more about ONE® Project Condom and apply to host your own event.

Join the ONE® Community

Project Condom is just one way ONE® engages communities beyond the condom aisle. Working nationwide with artists, students, athletes, educators, and local organizations,ONE® makes sex education, condom fit, condom access, and creative expression a natural part of everyday life.

Want to get involved? Check out more ONE® community programs:

• ONE® Momentum®: You’re halfway there! Join the loyalty program! People complete challenges for points, and then can use their points to redeem free condoms, lube and swag on the ONE® website. Sign up: onecondoms.com/momentum

• ONE® College Ambassadors:  Be THAT sex nerd on campus. Selected students receive training and then free condoms and sexual health supplies to distribute on campus. Learn more: onecondoms.com/ambassadors.
  

• ONE® on Stage: ONE® works with bands and musical artists across the U.S. and Canada. They receive free condom cases with their band logo, and then distribute those at concerts and shows. Over 250 bands and counting! Learn more: onecondoms.com/oneonstage

• Team ONE®: Are you in an intramural, campus, or other social sports club? Let ONE® be your ultimate assist. Teams receive ONE® condom cases with their logo that they can hand out at events. Learn more at onecondoms.com/teamone

• Art of ONE®: ONE® is known for its cheeky, round condom wrapper designs featuring art from designers from around the world. Learn more at onecondoms.com/artofone. Are you the next Rembrandt of Rubber? Submit a condom wrapper design, such as a digital design, a photo of your pet, a painting, etc. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. If your design is selected for a wrapper collection, you’ll receive payment and free condoms featuring your design. Interested in submitting your portfolio instead? We’re always looking to build our network of freelance creatives to work with, from design to photography and more.