Female designers create ‘Bornfree’ to fight HIV

Twenty-three of the world’s biggest female fashion designers including Miuccia Prada, Stella McCartney, Donatella Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Vera Wang, Isabel Marant, Phoebe Philo, Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, and Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni are teaming up to fight mother-to-baby HIV transmission.

Led by CFDA head Diane von Furstenberg, the designers will be joined by Ethiopian model, designer and campaigner Liya Kebede, Vogue and Condé Nast fashion colossus Anna Wintour, and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen.

Bornfree founder John Megrue highlighted the group’s bold aim of « eliminating mother-to-baby HIV transmissions by Dec. 31, 2015 », by providing drugs and education that can help the virus passing from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding. 

The designers have all incorporated prints by Kenyan-born artist Wangechi Mutuhe into the collection which will hit Shopbop early next year, with proceeds going towards the Bornfree campaign.

Diane von Furstenberg has already revealed her first designs: a baby bag and a scarf with an exclusive pink African Mutu print, and we can’t wait to see what the other fashion legends have dreamed up.