hiv/aids

Art for AIDS 2012

 in Events / General Fashion  tagged art / art for aids / charity / hiv/aids by

Art for AIDS 16th annual auction fundraiser will take place on Friday, September 14, 2012 from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. This years’ event will be held at the City View Metron located at 135 Fourth Street in San Francisco. This is an amazing event which features fabulous artwork up for auction while providing an inspirational evening which directly supports those who suffer from HIV/AIDS.

The Art for AIDS event is expected to attract about 700 supporters, art patrons and party-goers. Funds raised from the event go directly to the UCSF Alliance Health Project.

Art for AIDS will feature an exciting silent auction as well as an energetic live auction which will offer works by Lucky Rapp, Jock Sturges, Robin Denevan, Sue Averall, Rex Ray, Martine Jardel, Michal Venera, Kristine Mays and more. The certificate auction will feature luxury getaways, celebrated restaurants, Napa wine tours and spa treatments.

For more information about the artists and galleries featured at the 16th annual Art for AIDS event, please visit artforaids.org

UCSF’s Alliance Health Project or AHP has been serving the community for over 27 years. The center provides free HIV testing, education, counseling and mental health services. AHP has counseled over 240,000 people and trained over 81,000 health professionals, educators and students. Funds raised from Art for AIDS will directly benefit AHP. For more information on UCSF’s Alliance Health Project, please visitucsf-ahp.org

Tickets for Art for AIDS start at $80. There are several sponsorship opportunities available as well. Please visit ArtforAIDS.org for ticket information. Thank you for your support and hope to see you at the event!

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Mondo Guerra helps in the fight against HIV and launches new collections: exclusive interview

 in General Fashion / Men's Fashion  tagged charity / hiv/aids / interviews / mondo guerra by

Mondo Guerra is working hard; harder than most people work. Not only is Mondo Guerra working on the launch of his new capsule collection at Neiman Marcus and a new collection of eyewear for “SEE Eyewear,” he is also a judge for “Project Runway” season 10, a costume designer for Denver’s current stage production of “Legally Blonde” and he is on a large-scale media tour to promote his new campaign in partnership with Merck “Project I Design” which is helping HIV patients around the globe.

Winner of “Project Runway All Stars,” Mondo Guerra is a highly sought-after designer who is not letting his career interfere with his passion for helping in the fight against HIV/AIDS. While on a media tour to help promote his new HIV awareness campaign “I Design,” Mondo Guerra took some time out of his extremely busy schedule to talk to me about his work in the fight against HIV, his new capsule collection for Neiman Marcus and his new eyewear collection at “SEE Eyewear.”

“A patient needs to know to ask questions.” Mondo Guerra explains. His new campaign in partnership with Merck, “I Design” is aimed at helping HIV patients properly prepare for their doctor visits and maintain an open dialogue with their physicians in order to receive the right treatment for their health. The “I Design” campaign encourages HIV patients to write down every side effect, non-HIV health issues and any questions they may have, the night before their doctors appointments in order to ensure they are talking to their doctor about every aspect of their health. This open communication will in turn help HIV patients live longer, happier lives.

Mondo Guerra’s campaign, “I Design,” includes an interactive website ProjectIDesign.com which conveys an easy message, a checklist for patients and also a creative aspect. The creative portion of the website allows visitors to design and share a textile online which is inspired by what they have been going through with the disease and life in general. To help promote the campaign, Mondo Guerra has been speaking to leaders in the HIV community and talking to people from a grassroots level in order to get the word out and help patients tailor their treatments.

When Mondo Guerra is not helping the world fight HIV, he is working; and working hard! Mondo Guerra has an exciting capsule collection coming out in late fall at Neiman Marcus. The contemporary line will include separates which “can be introduced into a wardrobe; you don’t need to buy the whole outfit.” We can look forward to pattern on pattern, bright colors and a collection which is “more refined, more quiet” than what we have seen from the designer in the past while still being “very Mondo.”

In addition to launching his capsule line at Neiman Marcus, Mondo Guerra is also launching an eyewear line spring of 2013 at “SEE Eyewear” which will be unisex. Mondo Guerra is excited about the eyewear launch “this is the first eyewear collection for me, I’m taking creative risks . . . the collection will include prescription glasses and sunglasses; it’s very well-rounded.”  The glasses and sunglasses will transition well from male to female and will appeal to everybody. (author’s note: Since I wear glasses myself, I have to add that I am really excited this collection and can’t wait for its’ launch!)

To learn more about “Project I Design,” please visit ProjectIDesign.com. To keep up on all the fabulous work Mondo Guerra does in the fight against HIV, his upcoming collections, his appearance as a judge for “Project Runway” season 10 and his costume designs for “Legally Blonde” in Denver, please “like” Mondo Guerra on Facebook, follow him on Twitter and visit his website at MondoGuerra.com

*Special THANK YOU to Mondo Guerra for taking the time to speak with me about his work for HIV and his new, upcoming collections. 

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Exclusive interview with Project Runway’s Mondo Guerra

 in General Fashion  tagged art / charity / hiv/aids / interior design / interviews / living positive by design / mondo guerra / project runway by

Mondo Guerra took time out of his busy schedule to speak with me about a recent fundraiser in San Francisco for DIFFA where he designed a tabletop installation with ten San Francisco State University students and also to talk about all of the amazing work he does with fellow “Project Runway” alumni Jack Mackenroth. Mondo Guerra is an inspiration and I loved hearing how passionate he is about helping others who suffer from HIV and to also hear his passion about his collection.

Below is a copy of my interview which I originally published on Examiner.com for my Celebrity Charity Events column. 
Mondo Guerra was in San Francisco this week to reveal a tabletop installation he designed with the help of ten San Francisco State University interior design students for DIFFA’s “Dining By Design” fundraiser. The well-loved “Project Runway” alum, and upcoming contestant on “Project Runway All Stars,” took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with me today about designing an amazing, one-of-a-kind tabletop installation, and about his tireless work with fellow “Project Runway” alum Jack Mackenroth for “Living Positive By Design.”

Mondo Guerra said “The table I designed represents life, it looks dreary, sad, and its spooky-it’s where life’s journey has taken me. But then in the middle of the table there is a jar vase with a single marigold which symbolizes hope and gives life.” While Mondo Guerra enjoyed taking on the challenge of interior design-especially since the project was for charity, he admitted he felt “out of his element” and also admitted he will not become an interior designer anytime soon; he definitely prefers designing apparel.

Becoming an advocate for HIV/AIDS was a natural move for Mondo Guerra. After coming out on national television during “Project Runway” and telling the world about being HIV positive, Guerra received such a positive response from fans that he felt a responsibility to become an advocate for living healthy and smart with HIV/AIDS.

Before “Project Runway,” Mondo Guerra had not been proactive, or acting responsible enough about monitoring his health and keeping an open dialogue with his doctor. It is easy for people to forget to take their medication, so Mondo Guerra works hard to spread the word that in order to “live the longest time possible and the happiest life possible,” it is important for people to remember to take their medication and to keep an open dialogue with their doctors. Mondo Guerra also reminds everyone how important it is to pay attention to health issues that come with age, such as watching cholesterol levels, bone density and more.

Mondo Guerra has become a role model not only for those who are HIV positive, but for anyone who feels passionate about a cause and would like to become an advocate for the HIV/AIDS cause. When asked what advice he could give an aspiring advocate, Mondo Guerra stated “anything that you are passionate about or that falls into your lap, you should talk about . . . you can get involved by continued conversations, constant dialogue, and by keeping HIV/AIDS on the radar. Talking about something you’re passionate about, that makes an advocate.”

Mondo Guerra has been working extremely hard for the “Living By Design” campaign and he has also been busy filming “Project Runway All Stars” which premieres in January, 2012. Fans of the designers’ collections can expect to see his next line in the fall of 2012. Mondo Guerra also has a new collection of tee-shirts which will debut on his website, lovemondotrasho.com on Friday, November 18, 2011. The new tee-shirts will be special edition and benefit a charity organization in Denver, Colorado.

For more information about the work Monday Guerra and fellow “Project Runway” alum Jack Mackenroth are doing for “Living Positive By Design,” please visit livingpositvebydesign.org.

To learn more about DIFFA or the Bay Area Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS, please visitdiffasf.org
*Special THANK YOU to Mondo Guerra for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak with me about the inspirational work he does for HIV/AIDS as well as his life in fashion.

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