Icons Felled by AIDS Star in Designer's New Line

The Spring/Summer 2022 collection of millennial knitwear designer Archie M. Alled-Martinez included a bold statement: t-shirts emblazoned with the names of cultural figures who died from AIDS-related complications and the age in which they passed.

Alled-Martinez, the menswear line founded and run by the Barcelona native, displayed the '70s-inspired t-shirts and matching shorts recently on Instagram. The sets are part of the "Unsung Heroes" line and honor designers Roy Halston and Antonio Lopez, minor disco pop star Sterling Saint Jacques, socialite Jacques de Bascher, and porn star Al Parker; the men's names are printed on the front of the shirts, while the ages they died — all young — appear on the back.

“I didn’t want the names to be gimmicky — maybe people won’t understand what it’s about,” says Alled-Martinez told Vogue. “It’s impactful when you get it,”

The designer's thoughtful hustler aesthetic is also evident in his current Pride collection. Working with Spanish artist Pepo Moreno, Alled-Martinez, who's queer, created shirts that carry confrontational messages like "Bottoms + Tops All Hate Cops" and "Heterosexuals Are a Proven Security Risk." Don't worry, it's not all for shock value: proceeds benefit STOP AIDS, a 35-year-old organization battling HIV stigma.