Woman creates condom dress for Aids awareness in China

Zhang Qiao'e's condom dress has no fewer than 3000 individual condoms on it. Photo / Australscope

A woman has shown off an incredible dress she made for Aids awareness using no fewer than 3000 individual condoms.

Zhang Qiao'e, a pensioner in her 60s, has turned heads with the unorthodox piece and claims the lubricant was the hardest part to deal with during the production process.

The woman from the city of Sanmenxia, in Central China's Henan Province, says the condoms used for the project had never been used and had already expired.

The dress has no fewer than 3000 individual condoms on it. Photo / Australscope

The self-taught clothing designer specialises in making outfits out of things that would otherwise be considered waste.

Zhang says: "The materials are the key to my outfits," adding that her creations, of which there are now nearly 30, are all environmentally friendly.

Unsurprisingly, the dress covered in thousands of condoms is the one that attracts the most attention.

Zhang showcased it for the first time at an Aids awareness event last year, and says she wants to urge the public to "stay healthy" and "stay away from HIV/Aids".

The dress has no fewer than 3000 individual condoms on it. Photo / Australscope

The grandmother said about the controversial outfit: "Many critics have raised concerns over the dress' hygiene, but there's no issue there.

"I collected the unused and expired condoms after they were left over from a previous public awareness campaign."

The dress has no fewer than 3000 individual condoms on it. Photo / Australscope

"I spent about a week ripping them open and attaching them to the dress," Zhang added, saying: "The hardest part to deal with was the excess of oils and lubricants."

HIV/Aids is still a taboo subject in China, where many sufferers of the disease are shunned by communities and even their own families.

Zhang says she hopes to empower the public with knowledge of the subject by tackling it head-on.