Victoria Beckham creates World AIDS Day t-shirt

To mark this year’s World AIDS Day on 1^st December, Victoria Beckham has designed a T-shirt to raise funds for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The programme’s mission is to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Beckham was named as a United Nations AIDS Goodwill Ambassador in September this year and follows a succession of celebrities in working with the organisation. Seemingly the UN’s strategy is to put recognisable faces to lead debate and increase awareness of difficult subjects following its hugely successful appointment of Angelina Jolie in 2012 as a Goodwill Ambassador in 2001, and later as a Special Envoy in 2012. Other notable ambassadors include Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Watson.

Prior to the announcement of her role with the UN, Victoria held an online sale of 600 pieces from her wardrobe via Outnet in support of the mothers2mothers charity, which seeks to enable and empower women affected by HIV to work alongside medical staff to deliver much-needed treatment. In addition, the charity funds a provision for a healthcare education programme encompassing mentoring schemes and community-based information sharing.

Her first official visit on behalf of the UN and in conjunction with the Elton John AIDS Foundation was to Soweto in South Africa, where she visited a number of mothers2mothers sites and talked with the women who are engaged with the charity to combat the spread to the virus in the area. Speaking of her experience she said: “My conversation with young women in Soweto has been an eye-opener for me. It gave me an exceptional insight to the many challenges facing these wonderful young women and mothers.”

The T-shirt, which is on sale in the new flagship store of Victoria’s fashion brand, unveiled this year in Mayfair, sells for £90, with all proceeds going to UNAIDS. She missed the opening of the store in order to attend the UN conference where she gave an emotive speech explaining her reasons for becoming involved as an ambassador.

The simplistic design of a screen-printed bold red ribbon, inspired by a brush stroke, on white fabric in a classic cut (elongated cap sleeves and round neck) echoes the simple and minimalist styles of her autumn/winter 2014 collection, and what Victoria referred to as hers and the brand’s commitment in supporting efforts to raise awareness and resources to combat HIV and AIDS.

It is also available online via the official Victoria Beckham website and buyers will receive a pin badge of the now iconic World AIDS Day symbol.

Emma Pugh

To purchase the official World AIDS Day T-shirt visit here.