Models wear nothing but ‘sex tape’ on NYFW runway

A slew of models rocked a New York runway wearing nothing but “sex tape” as a controversial fashion brand took its racy attire up a notch.

Models redefined “sex tape” after strutting the New York Fashion Week catwalk in nothing but risqué attire composed entirely of different kinds of adhesive.

The steamy showcase was part of the sold-out Black Tape Project event, an unconventional sartorial initiative dreamt up by self-proclaimed body tape “pioneer” Joel Alvarez.

The so-called “King of Tape” premiered his latest line of tape-based swimwear at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in Manhattan on Sunday night, mesmerising audiences with his minimalist designs.

This latest display went even skimpier than usual – with the spartan black-and-white swimsuits barely concealing the models’ nether regions like live-action censor bars, The NY Post reports.

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Designer Joel Alvarez prepares a model for the Black Tape Project runway show at New York Fashion Week 2022. Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images

One of the models’ bodies was crisscrossed with spike-studded black tape – a salacious take on the dog collar design – with black X’s acting as pasties. Others had their lady parts obscured by nothing but a skimpy tape “flower” that was unattached to the rest of the get-up.

In order to prevent discomfort – and perhaps an inadvertent bikini wax upon removal – Joel claims he uses “only skin-safe artistic body tape” in his clingy couture.

Per the Black Tape Project’s website, the unconventional patterns were inspired by an encounter the designer had while working as a rookie fashion photographer in 2008.

The budding designer was reportedly working with a model who “suggested I use electrical tape on her for the last look,” he said.

Models wore nothing but ‘sex tape’, according to the NY Post. Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images

While Joel initially had no idea why she would want to do this, he decided to oblige by wrapping her in black electrical tape, he recounted of his maiden bikini design.

“Mind you, she looked like two Christmas hams wrapped in rubber bands when I was done,” mused the fashionista, who currently boasts more than 630,000 followers on Instagram.

Fast forward a few years and it appears that Black Tape is sticking around.

By 2012, the tape maven began selling his “creative services to local nightclubs in Miami” and now showcases his designs at venues across the globe, per the fashion firm’s website.

Joel even allows aspiring fashionistas to try out the designs on themselves: He sells rolls of adhesive on the Black Tape Project’s website, where they cost from $US9.99 ($A14.51) for black body tape to $US29.99 ($A43.54) for other colours.

The fashion brand was born by accident in 2008 according to its creator. Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images

Now The Black Tape Project has become more mainstream, being spotted at festivals around the globe. Picture: Arun Nevader/Getty Images

“I am focused on teaching and educating others by encouraging the world to try this new genre of body art with a collection of our own skin-safe body tape that I have curated from my own projects in the past,” he writes on the site.

“This is the same tape that I use every day for my live performance designs and that you see in my portfolio.”

Despite the popularity, many are not convinced the risque design is actually needed, claiming it’s “impractical” and would surely be “painful” to remove.

A model who recently wore a “duct tape bikini” at Miami Swim Week 2022 revealed the skimpy cossies also take a very long time to get into.

“Second time walking for @blacktapeproject. Thank you Joel, and to the outstanding team behind all of this hard work. 12 hours taping and just 30sec walking. It is an honour to be wearing your art,” Chanel Rivera wrote.

The bold fashion choice has become more mainstream in recent years, being worn at festivals around the globe, most recently Burning Man.

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Models wear nothing but ‘sex tape’ on NYFW runway