Sex workers put on fashion show to fight AIDS
Sex workers sought to raise awareness about discrimination and AIDS with a colourful fashion show on the margins of the world AIDS conference on Wednesday.
Strutting sexily — or shyly — down an improvised catwalk, sex workers and activists drew a large crowd at the Global Village where NGOs have set up booths for the week-long conference.
The collection featured skimpy yellow shorts with thin braces, a mini-skirt over red fishnet tights and frilly dresses, with condoms in bright packaging sticking out of bodices or pockets as a reminder of the theme.
It was designed by Daspu, a Brazilian label set up in 2005 by a former prostitute now involved in defending sex workers’ rights and named from “das putas”, which means “from the whores” in Portuguese.
For prostitutes, “AIDS prevention is an instrument for working,” Friederike Strack of Davida, an association working Daspu in Brazil, told AFP.
The prevalence of HIV among this group is significantly higher than in the rest of the population but criminalisation of sex workers meant access to information and treatment was limited in many countries, Strack said.
“It’s important that the sex professionnals, the sex workers, know how to use condoms, and they are the best to make HIV prevention: they have contact with the clients,” said Strack.
“Visibility of our population is very important to get less discrimination, violence and negative attitude against our group,” added Camille, a transgender sex worker and model for the day.
Source: Yahoo News
Tinsley Mortimer Does Hair Metal Chic for Samantha Thavasa
Tinsley Mortimer launched her latest collection for Japanese handbag company Samantha Thavasa on Tuesday, July 20, at the store’s New York boutique on Madison Avenue to a crowd that delighted in her fall lineup, a girly take on ’80s-inspired bags and clutches that would be just as home at a hair metal arena rock show as they would on the set of “Gossip Girl.”
It’s that bridging of high and low, a dash of glam rock mixed with feminine chic that has become Mortimer’s signature at the label. This marks her fifth collection for Samantha Thavasa.
Mortimer, a New York fashion mainstay, takes a personal approach to her job as designer, infusing the accessories with her own style sensibility. Laser cut leather and corset-like laces evokes sweet yet sassy lingerie, while “tie-dyed” leather in pale blue washes and psychedelic swirls are a deluxe take on acid washed denim – a staple for any self-respecting metalhead, of course.
“I’m a girly girl, and I love to wear a frilly dress, but I love my accessories to be a little bit more edgy, so ’80s rock really made sense for me,” said Mortimer. “I love Bon Jovi and Poison and White Snake and Metallica, so I was just inspired by that.”
The collection is a follow-up to her spring line of early ’80s punk references, that include everything from studs to multiple zips.
“This is just a natural progression for me,” she said.
No word yet on whether next season we’ll see the collection evolve to include ’90s-style mini-backpacks, but Mortimer, who does a clothing collection for Samantha Thavasa that’s currently only available in Japan at the moment, said she hopes to do a collection stateside soon. And, of course, shoes – “I’m such a shoe girl!” she exclaimed.
By: Renata Espinosa
Advantages of Jobst compression stockings
Most people know that owning a healthy pair of legs is not an easy thing. In fact, some people spend thousands on their legs and are still left with aches, pains and swellings in the legs. For some, these are minor inconveniences. For others, healthy legs could be a matter of life and death.
Fortunately, keeping your legs healthy is not a difficult task. One particular form of therapy has been particularly useful in restoring and maintaining the health of the legs. This is called compression therapy. Compression therapy makes use of a particular kind of material that provides support and speeds up healing. Compression wear includes socks, stockings, vests, pantyhose, trousers, bandages and the like. One of the most popular and trusted names in the area of compression wear is Jobst.
Conrad Jobst was a German who suffered from a venous disease. His own disease led him to invent compression stockings that he could use to support and manage his condition. Through sheer ingenuity, he was able to perfect these stockings and make them good enough for men and women. This led to the development of the Jobst Company in 1950. Today, Jobst compression stockings are worn by a wide variety of women all over the world. Read more