HONG KONG — What’s your favorite T-shirt? The one you can’t throw away, not after 17 years, hundreds of washes, some mending and a few little holes here and there?
Mine was an army green Martin Margiela AIDS tee, the very first one the Belgian designer released in 1993 to benefit AIDS research.
I was a fashion student in New York. My friend Victor came over wearing this curious V-neck T-shirt with misprinted text silkscreened on the neck part.
It read: There is more to be done to fight AIDS than to wear this t shirt but it’s a good start.
When his chic roommate Ana came over wearing the same thing, I just knew it was the season’s must-have.
Victor told me the unisex Margiela AIDS tees were sold at Charivari for $35 (I know, how very ‘90s).
At the store I ended up buying the very first AIDS tee, and those released right after—in white with black print, and fuchsia with black print.
I was hooked.
Through the years I ended up buying the orange with black print, beige with red print, black with blue print, and off-white with aqua print. But none fit as well as the very first tee.
Last week, an exhibit of Martin Margiela’s AIDS tees was launched to coincide with the opening of Hong Kong’s second Martin Margiela store at Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui. Guests were asked to wear a Margiela AIDS tee to the event.
Shirley Li, press executive for I.T. Ltd, which brings Maison Martin Margiela to Hong Kong, said a new AIDS tee has been released every season since 1993, featuring a different color print on a different colored shirt.
The current FW09/10 edition is a cream-colored shirt with a glittery silver print, which sold briskly during the show.
In Hong Kong, Maison Martin Margiela is located at 18 On Lan Street, Central and at Shop G105, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
In Manila the Margiela AIDS tee is sold exclusively at Homme et Femme on the third level of Shangri-La Plaza. To inquire, call 633-7009.