Vena Cava’s New Accessory

Among the hats, shades, and shoes that hit the Vena Cava catwalk tomorrow, there’s one VC-designed accessory you won’t see: a condom. But Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai, whose Fall collection debuts tomorrow, can check prophylactic creation off their bucket lists; they’re the latest designers to collaborate with Proper Attire, the company that each season taps a designer or label to create its packaging. For their three boxes, Mayock and Buhai created hand-drawn, conversational prints, like those they feature in their collections. One box features euphemisms for sex; another, euphemisms for condoms; a third, the famous “No Glove, No Love.”

“We just thought it would be so cool to have condom packaging that was not so serious—that wasn’t any kind of sleek, slick-looking box. It’s just not how we approach design in general,” Mayock said from their studio the day before the show. “We wanted to use our hand-drawn prints that we’re known for, but also to make packaging that would be a conversation starter,” Buhai added. If you want to start conversations, you’ve got to supply the words. Here are two more: Planned Parenthood, which benefits from the sale of every pack at locations like select Thompson Hotels, Opening Ceremony, and the Museum of Contemporary Art store in Los Angeles.