CHARLOTTE, North Carolina--- It was yet another time to shine for the Filipino-American community during Saturday's (Feb. 24) Charlotte Condom Couture Fashion Show at Fillmore in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The artist-model duo of Edelweiss de Guzman and Tia Ashley Michaels respectively made the Filipino-American community proud with their participation in the unique runway fashion show which showcases local designers in the Charlotte area using condoms to create fashionable, wearable art in order to promote safe sex.
The theme for this year’s show is “Around the World” and it is sponsored by Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health care in the US and around the world.
The first condom couture dress Edelweiss made was in 2015 and it was later auctioned off. Edelweiss donated half of the amount to Planned Parenthood which celebrated its 100 years recently. Edelweiss, co-founder of the local Art Ecologie group, grew up in the Philippines and moved to the US when she was 18 years old.
Her works include illustrations, paintings and haute couture made from recyclable materials. Last year, Edelweiss created a dress made of white condoms that was inspired by 1910 culture homage to the Industrial Revolution for the Condom Couture Fashion show.
Her model, tall and lanky 18-year-old Tia Ashley Michaels, wore Edelweiss's latest creation of an A-Line ball gown and a bodice coiled in latex. Tia’s mom is from Cebu province.
It was a happy mix of white, red, yellow, blue and orange colors. Tia, who looks like a real princess, wore the head piece inspired by those worn by the Manobos and T’boli natives in the Philippines which consist of decorative shells.
Tia is a full time student at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) majoring in computer science and a minor in the arts. She performs Polynesian dancing as a hobby during her free time and belongs to the Filipino International Community Church (FICC).
While she didn't attend any schooling in modeling courses, it looks like she is into it already. “I see myself progress in this field by learning and communicating with others,” Tia said.