Models are seen strutting in nothing but TAPE at New York Fashion Week

Catwalk models have turned heads at New York Fashion Week after taking to the runway wearing nothing but black and white tape – which just about covers them up.

The models featured in The Black Tape Project which had been directed by the Art Hearts Fashion initiative.

The Black Tape Project itself was masterminded by Joel Alvarez, a body tape expert who describes himself as a ‘pioneer of the body tape art genre’.

While Joel tends to work with multicoloured body tape, the models in his latest show sported black and white designs.

Joel Alvarez, who claims to be a self-taught body tape artist, tapes up one of the runway models before she heads out onto the catwalk

Each model wore a different design with features including collars and wrist cuffs made out of tape, which only just covered their modesty.

The unusual designs were paired with heeled sandals and ankle boots, with the models sporting smoky eyes and coiffed hairstyles. 

A statement on The Black Tape Project website reads: ‘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.’ 

Writing on the website, Joel said his body tape art has seen him work with music artists like Billy Ray Cyrus and Rick Ross on music videos.

The ankle strap on this model’s heeled sandals appeared to come undone as she walked the runway at The Angel Orensanz Foundation – although given her unusual outfit, it’s unlikely anyone noticed

A model walking the runway sported a monochrome look with white tape around her body and white painted toenails, but wore black patent heeled sandals

In keeping with a warrior-style theme this model also wore black tape with cold studs, arrows on her calves and paired the tape outfit with black strappy sandals

Joel claims to be self-taught in body tape art after falling on hard times when he was living out of his car in Miami. He inherited a house from a relative who had passed away and used the money from the sale of the home to buy a camera – thus igniting a love of photography.

People wanting to try out the art of body tape for themselves can buy Joel’s multicoloured tape on the website from $14.99.

The platform has helped to launch the careers of designers including Nicole Miller, Carmen Steffens and Walter Mendez.

This model wore thick-lined tape around her chest and collar, with a single striking band of black tape around her thigh and see-through heeled shoes with a black pointed. Another model wears black leather-look ankle boots with her tape creation as she walks down the catwalk while her long hair swishes behind her

A model shows off her redhead locks as she struts down the catwalk in platform black heels with a black tape bodice adorned with gold studs

A model wears see-through heels as she sports a more plain tape look without studs – with delicate floral tattoos on her chest and her arm on show

This model wore her hair in a ponytail and sported black strappy sandals, with tape studded with spikes rolled over her bust and legs 

Jason Alvarez, who calls himself the King of Tape, poses with the models from his New York Fashion Week show with the taped up models