H&M "FASHION AGAINST AIDS"

H&M and Designers Against AIDS (DAA) are joining forces in the battle againstAIDS and are launching a collection for guys and girls together with Rihanna,Timbaland and other well-known designers, musicians and artists. The aim is tospread awareness about HIV/AIDS, which affects many young people all over theworld. The collection "Fashion Against AIDS" will be available in H&M's Divideddepartments from February 2008.

The artists taking part in "Fashion Against AIDS" are Rihanna, Chicks on Speed,Good Charlotte, Henrik Vibskov, Jade Jagger, Katharine Hamnett, My ChemicalRomance, Rufus Wainwright, Scissor Sisters, The Cardigans, Tiga, Timbaland andZiggy Marley.
"Supporting YouthAIDS through the Fashion Against AIDS campaign was a great wayto encourage my fans to join me in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I love that H&Mis providing a fashionable and easy way for young people all over the world toget involved in this worthy cause, "says Rihanna.

The idea behind the collection is to draw attention to HIV/AIDS and increaseyoung people's awareness of it. Twelve million young people in the 15-24 agegroup are now infected with the virus. The initiative for this collaborativeventure was taken by Designers Against AIDS (DAA), a non-profit organisation that seeks to mould public opinion through collaboration with fashion designers,musicians and other artists.
"Fifty per cent of the people newly infected with HIV are aged between 15 and24. There's an urgent need to do something in this target group. By combiningfashion with music in this way we hope to get these young people to `stop andthink', as Katharine Hamnett puts it on one of the garments in the collection,"says Ninette Murk, the founder of DAA.

The artists participate free of charge and 25 per cent of the proceeds from the collection will go to HIV/AIDS-prevention projects around the world. This will be coordinated by DAA and YouthAIDS, Population Services International's (PSI)HIV/AIDS prevention initiative which reaches more than 600 million young peoplein 60 countries.
"Every fifteen seconds someone in the 15-24 age group contracts HIV/AIDS.Shopping has never been more important. Every garment sold makes a difference",says Kate Roberts, the founder of YouthAIDS.
The collection comprises T-shirts, tank tops and hooded sweaters. All garmentsfeature a print and the neckline label carries the name of the print designer.Some of the prints are low-key and subtle, and whisper that this is important.Others raise their voice. Katharine Hamnett's print in big, black, blocklettering on a white background shouts "USE A CONDOM!", while Tiga's checkall-over print calls for quiet reflection. Some of the squares have a different colour and represent all those who have the virus. The idea behind the campaign is summed up by Henrik Vibskov's print: Be aware - it is still happening.
"It's a collection that's rich in colour, with considerable commitment goinginto every garment. The artists have created personal prints with a strong senseof style," says H&M's head of design Margareta van den Bosch.


Prices vary from £7.99 to £19.99. All garments are made from 100 per centcertified organic cotton and carry a special hang tag that reads: "This might bethe most important piece of clothing you've ever had your hands on."