Manforce Condoms, India’s leading condom brand from Mankind Pharma, marked World AIDS Day with a purpose-driven fashion initiative aimed at advancing HIV awareness and encouraging open conversations around safe sex. The brand joined hands with acclaimed designer Ashley Rebello to present a striking, message-led showcase at the Jio World Convention Centre, blending fashion, culture and advocacy.
The showcase featured bold, latex-inspired designs symbolising protection, empowerment, and the significance of safer sexual practices. By bringing fashion and sexual wellness into the same space, the initiative aimed to challenge stigma and make discussions on sexual health more mainstream and accessible.
The event saw strong celebrity support, with Malaika Arora and Sunny Leone lending their voice to the cause. Their presence underscored a wider commitment to destigmatising conversations on sexual wellness and reinforcing the continuing importance of HIV awareness in India.
Further strengthening its contribution to the cause, Manforce announced a donation of ₹11 lakh to SAATHII — a national non-profit working across 36 states and union territories to ensure inclusive healthcare, justice, and social protection for marginalised communities. SAATHII plays a central role in advancing India’s mission to end AIDS by 2030, supporting stigma-free, community-based services for those affected by HIV.
Speaking about the initiative, Rajeev Juneja, Chairman and Managing Director, Mankind Pharma, said, “At Mankind Pharma, advancing public health has always guided our work. Our experience, right from the early days of launching Manforce, has been that young people often felt condoms reduced pleasure. This perception became one of the key reasons many of them avoided using protection. We realised early on that safety messaging alone would not drive behaviour change, because it tends to sound social, instructional and distant from how youth actually think.
Along with the message of safety, there has to be an element of glamour and sensuality. That balance is important. The cause should stay at the core, but the appeal needs to be upfront. Keeping this understanding in mind, we introduced flavoured condoms to fill a real gap in the category, and now EPIC, our thinnest non-flavoured condom.
Taking this message through fashion is a natural extension of that thinking. Fashion and sensuality come together effortlessly, and it helps us communicate responsibility in a way that connects with young consumers without feeling preachy.”
Designer Ashley Rebello added, “Fashion has always been a powerful language, and this collaboration allowed us to use that language to highlight something far more important than style. By incorporating materials like latex into the designs, the idea was to turn the runway into a message about protection, awareness and responsible choices. If creativity can help spark conversation and make people more comfortable engaging with topics like safe intimacy, then the purpose is well served.”
Actor Sunny Leone shared, “Manforce has always been a brand close to my heart, and my association with Mankind Pharma goes back many years. Coming together with the Manforce team again for an initiative that raises awareness around safe sex and HIV prevention feels deeply meaningful. This cause matters, and it is important that people feel comfortable talking about protection and making informed decisions. Using fashion as a platform helps take the message to audiences in a way that is modern, relatable and engaging. I’m proud to stand with Manforce as we continue encouraging conversations that contribute to safer and healthier behavior.”
With this initiative, Manforce reinforces its longstanding commitment to promoting safe sexual practices, supporting HIV prevention efforts, and advancing public health through culturally relevant, impactful communication.
