December 2, 2010
'Runway' Designer Does T-shirts for World AIDS Day
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 1 MIN.
NEW YORK (AP) - There's a reason Mondo Guerra shared his story about being HIV positive on the reality show "Project Runway." It's just at the time, he wasn't quite sure what it was.
In hindsight, though, Guerra thinks he was compelled to it because "now I have the ability to bring attention to a cause," he says.
"Things happen for a reason," he adds. "Now that this is my life now, it has brought some opportunities. I think it's inspired a lot of other people to be courageous and step forward."
He also can raise money for AIDS research in a new partnership with online retailer Piperlime. Mondo, a "Runway" fan favorite this season, designed two limited-edition T-shirts to launch Wednesday, to coincide with World AIDS Day.
For each shirt sold, $20 will be donated to amFAR, an organization that focuses on AIDS research.
One shirt shows a tree with a single heart hanging from a branch and the other features a colorful skull in the Day of the Dead theme that dominated Guerra's final collection on the TV show.
The Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead isn't about death at all, he says, it's about celebrating the memory of loved ones. "I think it's a smart choice to use this for this cause."
The T-shirts are for women, though Guerra notes, "They actually printed a male version in extra small just for me."
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
