ALDO JOINS FORCES WITH VFILES TO CONTINUE ITS FIGHT AGAINST AIDS
The exclusive VFILES + ALDO for ALDO FIGHTS AIDS collaboration includes a collection of friendship bracelets and a series of videos, launching worldwide February 9, 2015.
February 2, 2015, Montreal – ALDO has enlisted its friends at VFILES, fashion’s first social media platform, to join in its fight against HIV/AIDS. As part of its ongoing #FriendsFight fundraising and awareness campaign, ALDO will release a special collection of friendship bracelets and a series of videos produced in collaboration with VFILES.
Adorned with an engraved chrome circle to signify unity, the adjustable unisex bracelets will be available in four pop colors: black, pink, green and yellow. Each retailing for $5 USD, 100% of net proceeds will be donated to Partners In Health, a non-profit organization whose groundbreaking initiatives against AIDS
continue to revolutionize the way the world approaches and funds diseases in developing countries. The #FriendsFight friendship bracelets will be available as of February 9, 2015 in select ALDO stores worldwide and online at www.aldoshoes.com, as well as at the VFILES store located at 12 Mercer Street in New York City and on its website, www.vfiles.com .
As part of the launch, a series of videos will be released online featuring a diverse group of friends reminiscing about times they fought for each other, illustrating the magical connections of friendship and solidarity.
“ALDO has been committed to the fight against AIDS since the mid ‘80s, a time when few were willing to take a stand. Since then, support for the cause has grown but the fight is far from over,” said Douglas Bensadoun, Chief Creative Officer for ALDO. “By teaming up with VFILES to continue the #FriendsFight movement, we’re mobilizing our communities – online and off – to fight with their friends, and for their friends. The only way to end HIV/AIDS is to come together and fight together.”
“The fashion community has lost so many special people to this disease and it only makes sense that we, VFILES, speak up and support any opportunity to continue the fight for a cure,” said Julie Anne Quay, Founder and Chief Executive for VFILES. “ALDO has been a pioneering supporter of the HIV/AIDS search for a cure since the very early days and VFILES is proud to be a part of that continued passion and support.”
“At Partners In Health, we believe in the power of accompaniment – the commitment to be with our patients, to hear and learn from their voices, to respect their rights and attend to their needs,” said Dr. Joia
Mukherjee, Chief Medical Officer for Partners In Health. “That’s what the #FriendsFight campaign is all about: friends supporting each other and joining forces in the fight against AIDS. We are proud to partner with ALDO because they were at the forefront in the fight against AIDS.”
Partners In Health provides medical treatment, housing, water, food and psychosocial support to thousands of people living with HIV. By providing social and economic support, PIH address the root causes of poverty and disease, and not just the disease itself.
ALDO has been actively involved in the fight against AIDS for almost 30 years and has raised more than $10 million for international AIDS programs. For more information on ALDO FIGHTS AIDS, please visit: www.aldofightsaids.com.
ABOUT ALDO
Founded in 1972, the ALDO Group is a leading international retailer for fashion footwear and accessories with over 1,800 stores in 92 countries. ALDO, the group’s flagship brand, delivers fashion to a diverse customer base at prices that make keeping up with seasonal styles a luxury within reach.
ABOUT VFILES
VFILES is an influential and vocal community obsessed with pop culture and fashion in all its incarnations. The VFILES platform provides a democratic online and in-person fashion environment for users to socialize, be entertained, and shop. VFILES is the evolution and the revolution of communication and community.
ABOUT PARTNERS IN HEALTH
Partners In Health is a global health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH builds local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care to address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Visit www.pih.org for more information.
Partners In Health Canada is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to global health equity, following a model of care and accompaniment practiced by Partners In Health for more than 25 years. Visit www.pihcanada.org for more information.
Click on the thumbnails below to watch the complete #FriendsFight video series: