Fashion Designers Against AIDS

Thirty three million people are infected with AIDS, and 14,000 new cases are registered each day. That approximates to one infection every six seconds, shocking figures widely publicized on December 1st for World AIDS Day. To draw further attention to the rapidly growing AIDS epidemic, French association AIDES organized La Grande Braderie de la Mode last weekend, a huge fashion clearance sale to raise money to fight this global disease.

La Grande Braderie de la Mode is held twice a year, in June and December, in Paris and Marseille, and has become a popular event for fashionistas and bargain hunters alike. More than 150 brands, designers, perfumers and editors are asked to donate a variety of new products from their recent collections. The impeccable selections of clothes, cosmetics, books, handbags and accessories are then sold with up to an 80% discount off their original selling price and all proceeds go to the AIDES association.

We don't know about Marseille, but the 21st Parisian edition was quite an event, with participating labels such as Agnés B, Anne Fontaine, Antik Batik, Balenciaga, Cacharel, Cartier, Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Comme des Garçons, Erotokritos, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Guerlain, Isabel Marant, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jérôme Dreyfus, Kris Van Assche, Parfums Dior, Givenchy, Paule Ka, Sonia Rykiel, Vanessa Bruno, Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent and Zadig & Voltaire. Even in times like these, donating money could be fun and fulfilling.

www.aides.org.

—Nora Baldenweg