Client:
Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical company leading innovation in rare disease treatment and patient advocacy.

Challenge:
Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare, life-threatening disease that most dermatologists are unfamiliar with. This lack of understanding leaves patients not only in physical agony, but also feeling emotionally isolated and dismissed by their doctors. Existing communication efforts — pamphlets, medical data, even patient testimonials — failed to convey the harrowing nature of the disease. We needed to break through emotional apathy and professional detachment with an experience that couldn’t be unseen or forgotten.

Creative Solution:
We partnered with avant-garde fashion designer Bart Hess — known for his radical collaborations with Lady Gaga — to create The Unwearable Collection, a fashion collection inspired by real patients’ experiences with the disease. Each piece embodied a different aspect of the disease’s physical and emotional trauma:

• Shattered mirrors and plexiglass symbolized social rejection and fractured identity

• Thousands of razor blades formed a snake-like dress that choked the wearer, reflecting life-threatening flare-ups

• Melted red foil captured the sudden outburst overtaking the body.

• 10,000 sharp paper shards conveyed the relentlessness of daily physical pain

  The end result is a stunning clothing line no one would dare to wear, but those with GPP have no choice.

These hauntingly beautiful garments were showcased in a museum-style installation at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting — the largest dermatology convention in the world — turning a typical pharma booth into an unforgettable emotional education. A look book included a stunning photo editorial of the collection and behind the scenes content. It was sent to leaders in the dermatology and the fashion industry.

Impact:

• Won Cannes Lions Bronze + 5 Shortlists, GRAND LIA - Pharma Craft, plus multiple Golds at LIA, CLIO, The One Show, ADC, and NY Festival

• Reverberated beyond the pharma world, generating buzz in the fashion and art communities

• Redefined how pharma communicates about rare disease — through empathy, art, and immersive storytelling

• Most importantly, dermatologists didn’t just learn about GPP — they felt it.The Unwearable Collection, a fashion collection inspired by real patients’ experiences with the disease.

www.theunwearablecollection.com

Recognitions:

• Cannes Lions, Bronze

• Cannes Lions, 5x Shortlist

• Art Directors Club, Gold

• Art Directors Club, Silver

• The One Show, 3x Silver

• GRAND LIA - Pharma Craft 2022

• LIA Pharma, 3x Gold

• LIA Pharma, Silver

• LIA Pharma, 2x Bronze

• CLIO, Gold

• CLIO, Silver

• CLIO Health, 3x Gold

• CLIO Health, 2x Silver

• CLIO Health, Bronze

• New York Festival Health, 3x Gold

• New York Festival Health, 2x Silver