Did you know that one in nine Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer? It’s a scary statistic, and one that hits close to home for many of us. To help raise funds for breast cancer research, some of Australia’s most influential forces in fashion, beauty and lifestyle have come together for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC).
Launched by The Garvin Institute of Medical Research, the FTBC 2015 fundraising campaign has kicked off with an exclusive t-shirt designed by Karen Walker available to purchase through online fashion retailer, THE ICONIC.
Supporting this year’s campaign as ambassadors are Australian digital influencers Sara Donaldson (Harper & Harley), Eleanor Pendleton (Gritty Pretty) and Neale Whitaker (editor-in-chief, Vogue Living). They join the foundation’s international ambassador, George Kotsiopoulos, in raising awareness for the cause, and raising funds for The Garvin Institute of Medical Research.
With this year’s goal to drive the FTBC message further than ever before, the leading ladies will be taking to their digital and social media outlets to voice awareness, spark conversation, and encourage fundraising for breast cancer. Sara, Eleanor and Karen will be appealing to their fans and followers to help spread awareness through social media and sharing.
In what FTBC is calling their most ‘wearable and sharable’ campaign yet, the ambassadors want you, their followers, to wear and style the FTBC t-shirt in your own unique way, snap a selfie, and share it with the hashtag ‘#WearYourSupport’.
Celebrity stylist George Kotsiopoulos, star of E!’s reality series Fashion Police and international ambassador for FTBC, says: ‘More than 12,000 Australian are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and the earlier the cancer is detected, the better the outcome. The Garvan Institute is one of Australia’s largest cancer research groups and all funds raised from this t-shirt go towards hopefully one day eradicating this disease.’
Eleanor Pendleton, multi-award winning beauty editor and style influencer and editor of Gritty Pretty, shared her thoughts on the issue:
‘I think that given that I am a media personality, it is my responsibility to create awareness about incredible causes like trying to find a cure for breast cancer. I really believe in women supporting women and helping the sisterhood, so anything that I can do to help to bring a spotlight on breast cancer, I’m obviously all for.
‘I am fortunate that I haven’t been affected by breast cancer…but the statistics are shocking. I think as women it’s our responsibility.’
FTBC was established by Ralph Lauren in 1994, in memory of fashion editor Nina Hyde who died of breast cancer. The campaign currently runs in fourteen countries around the world, and is heavily supported by the international fashion industry. In Australia, the campaign has raised more than $2.7 million for breast cancer research.
Along with breast cancer research, The Garvan Institute is a leading biomedical research institute, pioneering research into some of the major diseases affecting society, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, immunological disorders and osteoporosis, and is home to one of the largest cancer research groups in Australia. By aligning with Garvan, FTBC will be investing funds directly towards pioneering Australian breast cancer research, including early on-set breast cancer.
The Fashion Targets Breast Cancer T-shirt designed by Karen Walker is available for purchase online now at THE ICONIC for $50.
Breast Cancer – The Facts:
- In Australian women, breast cancer is the most common cancer
- Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death after lung
cancer - More than 12,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia each year
- More than 2,600 will lose their life each year
- One in 9 Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer
- One in 37 will die from the disease by the age of 85 years
- Survival estimates for women under the age of 40 are significantly lower, which may be
due to more aggressive tumours and less response to treatment.
