India, Dec. 7 -- Manforce Condoms, India's leading condom brand from Mankind Pharma, marked World AIDS Day (December 1) with a purpose-driven fashion initiative, spotlighting HIV prevention and safe sex. In collaboration with designer Ashley Rebello, the brand hosted a fashion showcase at Mumbai's Jio World Convention Centre, using creativity as a catalyst for open conversations around sexual wellness. The runway featured bold designs made with latex and other symbolic materials and in a first, a backdrop wall on the red carpet was curated using 2 lakh condom packs. This underscored the themes of protection, empowerment and responsible intimacy. By turning fashion into a medium for advocacy, the initiative aimed to break stigma and make discussions on sexual health more mainstream and approachable. Adding star power to the event, actors Malaika Arora and Sunny Leone voiced their support, reinforcing the need to normalise conversations around sexual wellness and HIV awareness in India. Joy Chatterjee, Vice President and Head of Sales and Marketing, Mankind Consumer Division was also present as they announced a contribution of Rs.11 lakh to SAATHII, a national non-profit working across 36 states and union territories to provide stigma-free healthcare, justice, and social protection for communities affected by HIV. The support aligns with India's mission to end AIDS by 2030. Speaking about the initiative, Rajeev Juneja, Chairman and Managing Director, Mankind Pharma, said, "At Mankind Pharma, public health has always shaped our approach. From the early days of Manforce, we saw that many young people avoided condoms because they believed they reduced pleasure. Safety messaging alone wasn't enough - it often felt distant from how youth actually think. We knew the communication needed both safety and appeal, with a touch of glamour and sensuality. That insight led us to introduce flavoured condoms and now EPIC, our thinnest non-flavoured condom. Extending this message through fashion is a natural step, allowing us to blend sensuality with responsibility in a way that resonates without feeling preachy." Highlighting the use of fashion as a powerful language, Rebello explained how this collaboration led to the creation of "something deeper than style". "By incorporating materials like latex, we turned the runway into a message of protection, awareness and responsible choices. If creativity can spark conversation and make people more comfortable discussing safe intimacy, then the purpose is achieved," he said. htc...