Luu-ee-vee

A few months ago the Twitterverse was turned topsy-turvy. Louis Vuitton makes condoms?!?! WHosey whosey what what? And they're appropriately priced (in light of LV's general pricing) at $68.00 each.

But wait, they're fake(s). The LV condom was actually designed as a collaboration between Kirizia and Design Provocation. The condoms were supposed to launch on World AIDS Day, with all the proceeds being donated to the Foundation for AIDS Research (The Mirror UK).

I'm all for interesting ways to spread the message on World AIDS Day. I'm a huge fan of piping up and saying things like "wrap it up!", "No glove - no love" whenever there's a lull in a conversation. So don't get me wrong - I think the idea was awesome. Kudos! Who needs the Trojan man throwing condoms out into the crowd when you could have a (insert stereotypical LV consumer description here) equipped with LV purse, luggage, hair clips, scarf, whatever other ridiculously over-priced piece of mass consumerism in the form of textile you can think of, throwing special LV condoms at you?! Wait! That would never happen. The condoms are $68. You probably have to pre-order and sign up online and then wait in another line where the LV poster woman/man gently lobs the expensive prophylactic at you.

I don't support LV. I feel that companies like LV represent mass consumerism and the glorification of a lifestyle that is inaccessible and what I deem to be "fake". They represent an elitism that does not speak to me. So aligning a cause I support (AIDS awareness) with LV (albeit a fake) just rubbed me the wrong way. Do we really need companies like this to sensationalize the cause using their labelling tactics? Is a famous fashion label really the medium we need to use to get people's attention? Yet another disappointment for me to ponder tonight. Yet another reason some of the focus and attention of the masses irks me. This all makes me wonder what's next? Recently I was involved in a workshop with a group of young men where we hoped to talk about sexism in the media. The conversation led to the argument, "they are making money, what's wrong with that? You don't need to give in to the messages'" a few times that evening. So when what I deem worthy causes (yes, my personal opinion - this blog is showered with it at all times) align with companies that I easily see as aligning with patriarchal forces (and its branches: sexism, hypersexualization, gender-specific marketing and labelling...) it depresses me just a little bit.