Fashion AIDS aids!

Fashion AIDS aids!

As at the end of 2009, 33.3 million people were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. 68% of them reside in Sub- Saharan Africa. About 2.6 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2009. Globally, there are 16.6million estimated orphans due to AIDS.
The good news? More than 5 million people are now receiving HIV treatment. Consequently, the number of AIDS-related deaths annually and the number of new infections among children is steadily decreasing worldwide.

Fashion has not turned a deaf ear to the plight of the world especially with respect to the AIDS pandemic. In fact if any industry recognizes the impact that AIDS/HIV has on the world today and has determined to do something about it, it is the fashion industry. Every so often, AIDS/ HIV awareness projects and messages have found their way into various fashion and product lines. In recognition of World AIDS day which was December 1st and in support of what the fashion industry is doing concerning HIV/AIDS, I want to highlight 3 out of the recent fashion + AIDS-awareness collaborations that you need to know about!

♥ Filling Fashion’s Cracks

Want a unique take on the same old boring purse or bag? Well, try Safe Sax! SafeSax’s nifty bag line takes the condom from its hiding place and puts it into public view in the form of colorful purses, tote bags and makeup bags. Although edgy and somewhat in-your-face, these fun, colorful and funky bags successfully achieve Safe Sax’s mission of ensuring that condom use as a way to reduce HIV transmission is openly discussed. In addition to being an attention grabber, partial proceeds from the sale of Safe Sax products go to non-profit organizations that are concerned with AIDS education and prevention. So if you are daring enough, try out a funky but AIDS conscious Safe Sax purse or bag this holiday. Be a part of AIDS awareness and this unique campaign to end the HIV pandemic in the world.

Oh and if you are a bag designer or a fashion savvy consumer and are interested in designing a Safe Sax bag/ tote, contact info@safesax.com. They are constantly looking for new inspiration and would love to hear from you!

♥ Save a Hide…Wear a Rubber

AWEARNESS, the Kenneth Cole Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises awareness, increases prevention, supports education and eradicates stigma, to support the fight against AIDS. To this end, every season, Kenneth Cole partners with a nonprofit HIV/AIDS organization to create products and host events to achieve the foundations mission. This year Kenneth Cole released a new rubber accessory collection line to support amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS research. These must-have accessories range from $18 to $198 and 100% of net profits from the collection will go to AWEARNESS in support of amfAR throughout the month of December. I love this collection because of its rugged but sophisticated appeal.

Check out Kenneth Cole stores nationwide or online to get your hands on a piece this holiday season.

♥ Until There’s a Cure

Until There’s a Cure Foundation is a national organization dedicated to eradicating AIDS, by raising awareness and funds. I especially love this organization because it offers a collection of colorful and elegant handmade bracelets made by women in African Countries including villagers in Namibia, women in Uganda, women in South Africa living with HIV/AIDS and local women in Nairobi, Kenya. So far, these bracelets have raised up to $9,000,000 for HIV/AIDS charities around the world.




All proceeds from the sale of these unique bracelets go towards care for HIV/AIDS orphans, hospitals, nurses, and the medical needs of local women in Africa whose lives have been severely impacted by AIDS. It also serves as a source of employment and provides a livelihood for women in these countries.
Check out more of these African art bracelets at until.org.

Source:
- UNAIDS 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic

Fashion's Night Out || shopping for something good

Fashion's Night Out || shopping for something good

Fashion's biggest party in history is back this year! Taking place in 100 cities across the U.S and 16 countries around the world, Fashion's Night Out (FNO) is a global shopping celebration dedicated to fashion and charity. The City of New York which has been the main focal point of the celebration in the past, is joined by other cities across the nation this year and will include models, celebrities, fashionistas, freebies, cocktails, along with great shopping deals to benefit various charities around the globe.

Some of them include:

♥ The New York City AIDS Fund.
This year the FNO event has an entire fun clothing line by Vogue with 40% of the proceeds of all sales going to The New York City AIDS Fund. ||
♥ Soles4Souls.
Nine West hosts Joss Stone for the FNO event and a portion of all proceeds go to Soles4Soles. Guests at the store will also have an opportunity to donate gently used shoes to Soles4Souls. ||
♥ Kids Company Charity.
Exclusive Fashion’s Night Out T-Shirts and tote bags will be on sale in a number of FNO participating stores in London with all proceeds going to the Kids Company charity ||
♥ FEED USA.
Gap launches a new limited edition line of canvas totes starting at $19.50- created in collaboration with FEED Project with $5 of every purchase going to any schools food improvement project of your choice.

These are only a few of the charities that will be benefiting from Fashion's big event. Join Fashion's global celebration on September 10, 2010 and plan a night out with friends - shopping for good in your city.

Image Credit: jakandjil

Also See:
-Fashion's Night Out T-Shirt

Condom Couture

Condom Couture

Globally, 33.4 million adults (aged 15 and older) and 2.1 million children (under 15) were living with HIV/AIDS, as at the end of 2008. About 2.7 million people were newly infected. 67% of people living with HIV worldwide reside in Sub- Saharan Africa. For every 2 people starting HIV treatment, 5 become infected with the virus. More than 2 million deaths in 2008 were due to AIDS
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Her magnificent dresses are made completely of expired or defective condoms, rejected by industry quality tests. Inspired by HIV positive children she met while volunteering at GAPA- an HIV prevention group, this ingenious Brazilian designer realized she could use fashion for AIDS awareness and has been doing just that for about 13 years. She is none other than Adriana Bertini. Adriana Bertini designs innovative creations of colorful, beautiful and vibrant outfits. They are not meant to be worn but rather to raise awareness and promote the use of condoms as an important means to prevent HIV transmission. Her designs have shown up all over the world on fashion shows, at international AIDS conferences and as museum exhibits. This designer is making a difference. Already she has been able use her artistic designs to encourage parents to talk about sexuality with their children. In addition, all proceeds from the sales of her dresses go directly to HIV prevention and awareness organizations.

Adriana Bertini

Image Credit: Adriana Bertini

Image Credit: nogoodforme

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Designing a wedding gown out of 2000 condom wrappers, Project Runway’s Jack Mackenroth is another person using condom- inspired couture to raise awareness about AIDS/HIV. As an HIV positive designer, he uses fashion as a medium to promote safe sex. His signature piece was featured at a fashion show organized by Project Inform- a nonprofit AIDS/HIV advocacy organization.Sketch of the wedding dress designed by Jack Mackenroth (Photo: Jack Mackenroth)

Image Credit: Condomunity

Jack Mackenroth

Jack Mackenroth Wedding Dress

Image Credit: Jack Mackenroth

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In July 2007, to get people to start talking about sex in China, a show was held at the Fourth China Reproductive Health New Technologies and Products Expo. Organized by China's largest condom manufacturer, Guilin Latex Factory, the show aimed to promote the use of condoms in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The condom-inspired outfits were designed by students of Beijing Garment College in collaboration with Guilin Latex Condom Factory workers.

Beijing Fashion Show

Image Credit: BestPicStuff

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Ok, so I admit, these are probably a lil' bit much. But still, they get the message across and hold your attention- they are unforgettable. These are perfect examples of fashion being utilized as a tool for safe sex awareness. If the media, billboards, and pamphlets are being used to promote health awareness, well, why not fashion?

Source:
-UNAIDS 2009 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic
-UNAIDS- Brazilian Designer: condoms, basic as jeans, necessary as love

Why Not Fashion?

Why Not Fashion?

Walking down the ever busy streets of Michigan Avenue one foggy morning, it suddenly struck me how despite the gloomy weather, Chicago’s women still dressed as sophisticated and as chic as ever. Deep in thought, something caught my eye- a pair of unique red stiletto pumps briskly walking towards me. Intrigued and mildly filled with want, I looked up at this beautiful mid-thirties woman and blurted out “oh wow, I love your shoes!” She looked back at me in surprise, smiled and said “Thanks! Its rock the red pump!” and disappeared into the crowd. Being the inquisitive person I am, I immediately Googled “rock the red pump" as soon as I got home. And there it was- an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign for women and girls! …and I thought to myself, “Well, why not fashion?”

The world of fashion is emerging as a medium for public health awareness. Utilizing the “voice” of fashion, awareness campaigns such as The Heart Truth (which uses the red dress as a symbol to build heart disease awareness among women) and “Rock the Red Pump” (which raises awareness about HIV/ AIDS among women and girls) have been a huge success.

Health messages are being infused into the psyche of women via fashion shows, runways and clothing designs. The permeation of health into the fashion world is however painfully slow despite the fact that the fashion industry is proving itself to be quite an effective medium in raising awareness about women’s health issues.

As an industry that captures a wide range of female audiences, fashion can be a gateway to improving health for women. By utilizing fashion in ingenious and unconventional ways, it can be an effective tool to alert women to health issues that affect them while informing them on actions to take to lower risks.

Fashion designers can raise awareness about women health causes they are passionate about by designing and creating health inspired fashion lines with pieces, clothing, distinct colors, accessories (including hats, belts, shoes etc) and beauty products. These can have add-on health messages or come with information on additional health resources. Popular clutch designer Lauren Merkin, for instance, designs a special pink item every year from her collection to support breast cancer awareness and issues. Celebrities and famous role models are possible frontiers for using fashion to address health. By donning health-messaged designs and pieces, they can help in raising awareness about important women health issues including breast cancer, heart disease, cervical cancer, HPV, HIV/AIDS, stroke and even promote healthy prenatal behaviors. In addition, fashion magazines and media geared towards women can do a better job of providing appropriate health-related articles targeting the greatest mortality risks faced by the women who make up their readership. Studies suggest that women’s magazines may be encouraging women to focus on aspects of health that will not improve overall health or reduce risks. A conscious effort to use fashion to address health will however ensure that the most important health issues are tackled.

Fashion is a part of most women’s lives in some way or the other. To improve health for women therefore, fashion magazine editors, designers, celebrities, role models, working professionals and women health activists will have to figure out tasteful ways to use this medium to promote and raise awareness about women’s health issues.

When fashion and health can effectively work hand in hand, symbols that have been created and linked to health can then have a “voice”. So that when women see a beautiful red dress, they think –“what can I do today to protect my heart health?” A pair of red pumps- “HIV rates among women my age is rising, what can I do? Who do I tell?” A cute hair band with a pink bow they’ll think –“what can I do to lower my risk for breast cancer?” Or when a favorite fashionista or role model wears a health-inspired design they can begin to think of ways they can also be a part of the global movement against poor health outcomes.

If we are concerned about improving the overall health of women, addressing health from a platform that most women identify with, needs to be considered. Well, why not fashion?

Image Credit: mendoza

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