First openly HIV positive Mayor is also successful fashion designer

By Alice Neil 

Mayors are not known for their sartorial elegance – it must be those heavy chains and velvet robes.

Lambeth’s, though, is no ordinary first citizen, despite his name – Philip Normal.

The first openly HIV positive mayor, he is a fashion designer with an outlet in Brixton Village selling T-shirts that say things like “That’s bold, dear” and “Alexa, cancel Brexit”.

Our other faves are “I thought Ariane Grande was a font” and “What other people think about you is none of your business”.

But he’s surpassed himself this time with a T-shirt that just says “La” – the greeting the central characters use in Channel 4 series It’s a Sin, about the dawn of HIV and Aids in the 1980s.

And he’s already raised £40,000 in three days, thanks to his fundraiser being promoted by the series’ star Keeley Hawes – of Life on Mars, The Durrells and Finding Alice fame.

The ‘La’ charity t-shirts were launched as part of Phillip’s pledge to support LGBT+ rights and de-stigmatise those living with HIV during his year in office.

The T-shirts that cost £25, £20 of which goes straight to the Terence Higgins Trust, raising over £20,000 in the first 24 hours of its launch alone.

Philip said: “La really resonated with me, it encapsulates that love and mutual support in the community.

“I was extremely emotional to wake up less than 24 hours after the launch and find such an overwhelming amount of support, including from the show’s creators.

“Ending new cases of HIV is something we can achieve- we now have the tools: home testing PrEP and the knowledge to kill the stigma.”

Phillip, who made his name by combining his flair for design with his passion for LGBT+ rights, has previously served as the LGBT+ officer for the Labour party’s Vauxhall branch.

He also supports HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust and the Albert Kennedy Trust, which helps young LGBT+ people with housing issues, life skills and emergency accommodation.

Order your T-shirt here: https://philipnormal.shop/products/la-t-shirt