The Jeans for Genes campaign officially launched at Glasgow Caledonian University in London, on Fashion Street in Spitalfields.
For me, the location had particular significance. My old office was on Fashion Street and I spent years there creating campaigns, organising events and working with celebrities and brands. Returning to launch a campaign I have helped shape for around 15 years felt like a wonderful full-circle moment.
Jeans for Genes has been running for more than 30 years, raising awareness and funds to support people living with genetic conditions. This year’s Jeans for Genes Week runs from 14 to 20 September.
Fashion has always played an important role in the campaign, and over the years I have seen first-hand how powerful the humble charity T-shirt can be.
In an age of TikTok, Instagram, influencers and endless digital content, you might assume the celebrity charity tee has had its day.
I completely disagree.
Get the right talent, the right design and the right cause together and a T-shirt can still be one of the most effective PR tools available. It turns the person wearing it into a walking billboard.
A celebrity wearing a charity T-shirt creates a strong image for the media, content that travels across social platforms and, importantly, something the public can buy, wear and become part of themselves.
I have seen that through Jeans for Genes and with my own charity, Style for Stroke, where fashion and celebrity have helped us make conversations around stroke more visible and accessible. Choose Love is another fantastic example of charity merchandise transcending fundraising and becoming a symbol of a movement.
But it has to feel authentic and it has to be desirable.
This year I didn’t want us to create another Jeans for Genes T-shirt simply because that was what we had always done. I wanted someone contemporary, with profile and a genuine relationship with fashion and identity.
That person was The Traitors winner Stephen Libby. Stephen’s personal style became one of the talking points of his television appearance and he has subsequently spoken about fashion as an expression of his identity. Together with his partner Daniel Quirke, Stephen has created what I believe is our best T-shirt yet.
The design incorporates DNA running through denim, creating a visual link between the fashion heritage of Jeans for Genes and the children and families at the heart of the campaign. Crucially, it looks like something you would actually want to wear.
That might sound superficial when discussing a serious cause, but from a communications perspective it matters enormously. The best charity merchandise shouldn’t feel like charity merchandise. Make something desirable and people wear it because they love it. Then the message travels with them.
Influencer Lady of the Manor hosted a panel discussion featuring Stephen alongside Dominic Skinner and Anna Foster, exploring identity, individuality and the role clothes can play in communicating who we are. Stars including Brenda Edwards, Mark Ebule, Ionica and Precious Muir all attended the event drinking delicious Vinca Wine, white and rose.
Jeans for Genes Week takes place from 14 to 20 September 2026, with schools, workplaces and communities encouraged to wear denim and raise money to help improve the lives of children and families affected by genetic conditions. To buy a tee, click here.
