News feed
When Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman, the brother-and-sister founders behind the Sydney-based label Camilla and Marc, were just 11 and 13, respectively, they lost their mother to a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. “Surprisingly, the statistics that my mother faced 27 years ago have not changed,” says Freeman-Topper. “So we decided, who better than us to work to change the face of this disease and hopefully, in our lifetime, bring it to an end?”
Last year, they raised a remarkable $225,000 in fundraising, which helped kickstart further development of an early detection test and enabled the University of New South Wales’s Ovarian Cancer Research Group to employ two key female scientists to focus solely on the early detection project. This year, they are thinking even bigger, thanks to a five-year mission with annual goals.
“Ovarian cancer is completely overlooked and underfunded, yet every woman in the world is at risk of developing this disease,” Freeman-Topper continues. “One of the key objectives of this year’s campaign is to break down the stigma associated with the word ovaries, giving women the courage to talk openly about their gynecological concerns and body parts.”
Photographed on friends of the Camilla and Marc community—such as Leandra Medine, stylist Tina Leung, and artist Brianna Lance—this year’s unisex hoodie and t-shirts, which are available for purchase on camillaandmarc.com for a limited time, are boldly printed with a clear and precise message: “Ovaries, Talk About Them!”
As for how to wear them? Follow the lead of Medine and pair them with The Row flats and fistfuls of accessories, or, for a more pared-back look, take a cue from Ugandan model Aamito Lagum who tossed a cream-coloured blazer over the white tee. In other words, the styling opportunities are endless—just as the designers intended. “This is why we have created such practical pieces,” adds Freeman-Topper. “So that they are completely wearable and the message continues to be shared.”
