New York Fashion Week (NYFW) was held February 7 -14, 2013, and offered the fashion-curious a lot more than just the latest fashions.

The Foundation for AIDS Research has gathered over $2 million at the New York gala this year. At the Foundation’s website at amfAR.org, you can find many of the big names contributing to their organization. To name a few, Kenneth Cole has been on the Board of Trustees for 25 years and became the chairman in 2004. Janet Jackson has also been a contributor to amfAR for 15 years; she donated all of the money she made from her single “Together Again” to the organization.

Many people don’t realize the close connection between AIDS and the fashion world. The New York Times states that Angel Estrada, a New York designer, died of AIDS last year. Another well known fashion designer, Perry Ellis, died of AIDS in the 1980s. “It ends up being a part of everybody, one way or another,” said Patricia Pastor, assistant who took over Perry Ellis’ designs for two seasons after he had died.

NYFW is a huge event where top designers premier their new work for the upcoming season. Designers such as Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Rebecca Minkoff, J. Crew, Vera Wang, and plenty of other designers’ works were seen on the runway.