On the 26th of November a contest of designer clothes collections “Look around” on anti-AIDS topic took place in Lviv Palace of Arts. Twenty young designers from all Ukraine presented 17 collections of clothes. The designers came from Luhans, Lviv and Kherson regions, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Lviv cities. Competition fashion show was organized by Charity Foundation Salus, which since 1997 is providing a programme “Art against AIDS”.

The designers have used different materials for their collections. The most peculiar was Lyudmyla Malyarenko-Mys’ko, who was awarded a grand prix. For making her dress from 2.5 thousand of condoms Lyudmyla spent one month.

1. Olha Zadolynna City Lviv, “HIV-infected” “In HIV/AIDS problem I’m indignant most of all at the attitude of people and society to HIV-infected. I want to show with my collection the vacuum in which HIV-infected youth lives. Cellotape used in clothes shows their constraint and reserve, the red ribbon symbolizes hope for future”.

2. Inna Hordiyenko City Bryanka, Luhansk oblast, “Fire against death” “My collection calls to become thoughtful before making a mistake in one’s life. We belong to a new generation which understands how dangerous this disease is. By means of my collection I want to show young people the danger and warn them against making false choices.

3. Tetyana Vishnyakova City Lviv, “Youth against AIDS” “..I know that nobody is immune from HIV. I want to help HIV-infected persons and I’m angry that other people ignore them. HIV-infected are human beings and should be respected…”

4. Nataliya Horokhova City Dnipropetrovsk, “Faith, hope and love” “The idea of my collection is that AIDS will be exterminated when each person remembers about faith, hope and love! Hope for escaping from AIDS is in creating drugs. Faith- a believer is less likely to fall ill with AIDS. Love – love for oneself, for family, for children, for life, stimulates a person to be cautious, decent and responsible not only for oneself but also for others.”

5. Olha Kurbatova City Novoyavorivsk, Lviv oblast, “Choose life” My models reflect means of contraception and a symbol of struggle against AIDS – a red ribbon. That means that we should be cautious. In such a way I want to show that we build our life ourselves and choose means for doing it.”

6. Nataliya Man’ko City Lviv, “Aurora” This collection reflects the temper of the young generation, its yearning to be notable and attract attention to itself. It is dedicated to young girls, who passionately want to be adult and learn first feelings.

7. Svitlana Nikitina / Yulia Bereziuk City Lviv, “ACTION against AIDS” “The main feature of this collection is a red ribbon. We’ve chosen it for attracting attention of youth to the struggle against AIDS. Our collection is an aggressive one. In this way we tried to tell young people that AIDS is an urgent problem”. “ …As to me HIV/AIDS is a plague of the XXI century. All the society is guilty of it because it is irresponsible. It is necessary to fight against it by all means…”. - Yulia Bereziuk

8. Ella Skorik City Bryanka, Luhansk oblast, “Red hope” From year to year the quantity of people - HIV-infected and suffering from AIDS, increase. Most often among them are young people, who are losing their lives. But we have only one life and we should like it in all its positive manifestations. The collection calls on beauty and love.

9. Svitlana Mykytiuk / Solomiya Yatsentiuk City Lviv, ‘Life is priceless, take care of it” “The problem of HIV/AIDS does exist; everyone must understand it and fight against this problem.”

10. Olha Selivanova City Dnipropetrovsk, “A glance from inside” “As to me AIDS is the most urgent problem nowadays. It’s not influenza, of which the patient could be cured. It’s a disease for all life long. Unfortunately, there are no drugs for cure. Organizing of funds, activities of the famous people, contests – all testify that people are not indifferent to AIDS. It does matter for me too. We can’t even imagine how HIV infected feel… It’s necessary to respect them and try to make even a small contribution for solving this problem.”

11. Myroslava Balash City Lviv, “A priceless gift of life” “I have a big desire to change something. I hope that my collection will force somebody to meditate on this problem. My work reflects the choice people make in their life and cardinal changes they do in it after getting diagnose “HIV-infected”.

12. Yuliya Ananyeva City Stakhanov, Luhansk oblast, “Love life”. From year to year the quantity of drug users and HIV-infected increase. Drug usage captures more and more young people – future mothers and fathers. Presented collection “Love life” calls to pay attention to AIDS – our common trouble and fight against it with the help of beauty and love”.

14. Lyubov Dub City Lviv, “Danger that doesn’t choose its victims” “By my collection I summon people not to lose common sense, because unprotectedness is in lack of knowledge. People ought to struggle for life by means of spirit and not to build a blank wall for those whose reality is AIDS.”

15. Lyudmyla Malyarenko-Mys’ko Kyiv, “Condom is always fashionable” “HIV/AIDS – is the biggest trouble of a contemporary society. As there are no drugs for this disease such art events are very important for HIV/AIDS prevention. By means of my work I would like to remind once more that a contemporary person should have a condom together with a handkerchief in one’s pocket.”

16. Liliya Pesotska City Hornostajivka, Kherson oblast, “Life and freedom”. “If such disease exists all efforts ought to be used for overcoming it. I’m for help and support.”

17. Liliya Luchyshyn City Sambir, Lviv oblast, “Nor forbidden bloom” “Conception of the collection: YOU are stigmatized. The stigma is painted by your disease. You hide it under your mask as you dread that people will be afraid of you. You fear to fall down and knock down others… But you are alive! The seed is growing inside you. It‘s worth being alive. Strike roots and grow because your destination is to live.”

18. Lesya Kvyk City Lviv, “Angels of AIDS”