Fashion designers often craft narratives through their collections, weaving stories into the very fabric of their creations.

In an innovative Hulu special titled “HIV Unwrapped,” students from the Parsons School of Design collaborated with leading HIV researchers to reshape perceptions and address the stigma surrounding HIV, all through the medium of fashion.

Karl Schmid, the executive producer of “HIV Unwrapped” and co-founder of +Life Media, expressed to On The Red Carpet the unique fusion of seemingly disparate fields. He stated, “We are merging intricate scientific concepts with fashion, two realms not typically associated, yet remarkably, they complement each other.”

Having previously introduced “HIV Unwrapped” in Australia, England, and Rwanda, Schmid was thrilled to extend the dialogue to New York City.

He emphasized the power of collaboration, saying, “This initiative showcases what can be achieved when two seemingly opposite worlds engage in conversation. It’s not only essential in combating HIV stigma but also serves as a broader reminder that divergent domains, when coming together, can produce something extraordinary. It’s a message of unity and creativity that’s particularly vital today.”

The special will take viewers behind the scenes of the fashion show to see how the garments were made, how the collaborations between designers and science experts worked and to hear about the importance of telling a story like this.

“Fashion is a portal to creating ideas and telling a unique story. You wear something because you want to feel a certain way, tell a story about yourself. I’m excited to see what the designers and the HIV researchers come up with together because science is beautiful and I’d love to see it expressed. And if fashion can be a portal to reminding people of the importance of ending HIV, then we’ll take it,” said Shreya Jani, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Gilead Sciences.

“I think that it’s important to share and highlight the stories of individuals that are living with HIV because we are not all the same. We don’t exist in a monolith and we all have different experiences and I just want to show the world that regardless of what happens to you, we are more than the worst thing that has happened to us and that we can do incredible and be beautiful regardless of our HIV status,” said Bianca Ordoñez, who took part in the event.

“HIV Unwrapped” streams November 30 on Hulu and airs December 1 on the ABC Owned Television Stations’ Localish Network.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Hulu and this ABC station.