Multiple models wore nothing but black sticky tape as they walked down the ramp for the Black Tape Project during the New York Fashion Week on Sunday. The Black Tape Project was created by Joel Alvarez, a Cuban-American from Miami who calls himself the “King of Tape” and has showcased his work at the Miami Swim Week and the Cannes Film Festival.

Alvarez claims to be the world’s only body tape expert, founder, and pioneer of the body tape art genre. “The models appeared to abandon shiny and glamorous bikinis for intricate designs made out of duct tape. They proudly posed for the cameras as designers stuck the sticky product on their bodies. The models boldly flaunted the look as they tried to keep everything covered, but some designs sent pulses racing. Fans in the audience were left mesmerized by the body art as they rapturously applauded and took snaps of the models on their phones,” reported The Sun.

Models on the runway during the Black Tape Project showcase at New York Fashion Week (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)

His website reads, “My name is Joel Alvarez and I’m the creator of the Black Tape Project. I am the world’s only body tape expert, founder and pioneer of the Body Tape Art Genre. Because of my concepts, I’ve been able to travel to over 42 countries and counting. My work has been published in countless magazines and I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with directors like Michael Bay and recording artists like Rick Ross in several Maybach music videos including Maluma.

I have also worked with Billy Ray Cyrus and some of the top DJs in the world such as Carl Cox, Chukie, Afrojack, Black Coffee to name just a few. I’ve also showcased at EDC Vegas, Ultra Miami and Singapore and every major nightclub in Miami, Ibiza and the Cannes Film Fest since 2014.”

Models on the runway during the Black Tape Project showcase at New York Fashion Week (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)

Narrating the incident of how this project started, Alvarez said, “One day an out of town model booked me for a shoot and on our last look she pulled out a roll of tape and asked me to tape her. I had know idea where to start or what she was expecting.

So again I just jumped head first and started taping her. The design was so incomplete and extremely tight. She looked like the Michelin Man who lost a fight with rubber bands. I kept at it because I kept seeing lines and I found the ability to compliment the body by adding lines and creating negative spaces that called to the viewers.”

“Within a few years I was working at local Miami clubs taping 6 dancers, 3 or 4 nights a week. I had to work fast and make designs that wouldn’t fall apart when they danced, this is where I developed most of my techniques. 15 years later here I am. A self-taught photographer, artist, and entrepreneur. I’ve managed to make a business off of my ideas and concepts for almost 2 decades,” he added.

A model flaunts a Black Tape Project design in an outdoor photoshoot (BlackTapeProject)

Models during a promotional photoshoot for the Black Tape Project (BlackTapeProject)

Alvarez was living out of his car before finding a box that was hidden in his grandfather’s closet that contained over $26,000 neatly packed in envelopes in a cigar box. He used the funds to pay off his debts and bought a Canon Rebel XTI camera to launch a photography career. He worked with models from MySpace and Model Mayhem, and developed his skills. His work has been published in magazines like Maxim and Playboy.

The New York Fashion Week is being held at The Ziegfeld Ballroom. It started on February 11 and will conclude on February 16.