The charity AIDS T-Shirt has been present in all Maison Martin Margiela collections since Fall/Winter 1994/1995. Each T-Shirt is produced in a different colour with contrasted text every season and bears the text marked below in English:
THERE IS MORE ACTION TO BE DONE TO FIGHT AIDS THAN TO WEAR THIS T-SHIRT BUT IT’S A GOOD START
This year the t-shirt is a bit different. In their own words:
Further to the seasonal English version, the Maison has decided to have a yearly edition every time in a different language for the World AIDS day, starting with Japanese. Created in Paris, sold around the world, worn touching the heart, this limited edition charity AIDS T-shirt will be exclusively available in all Maison Martin Margiela stores.
When most T-shirts carry a slogan their message may be read from a distance… dialogue is not necessary. When this T-Shirt is worn it is no longer possible for others to read the text printed on it (most of the text is on the inside at the back of the V-neckline). A dialogue on HIV/AIDS is there encouraged once another asks the wearer to explain what is written on their T-Shirt.
A percentage of the sales is donated to ‘AIDES’, a French organisation dedicated to fight the HIV virus and take care of patients living with HIV/AIDS (www.aides.org). Over the years, 170,000 T-shirts have been sold and brought a contribution of over 700,000 euros to ‘AIDES’. Unfortunately, the virus is still around and that action is still valid.
the t-shirt will launch on December 1st