Ovarian cancer is called the “silent killer” for a reason.
Unlike other major cancers, there is still no reliable early detection test – by the time most people are diagnosed, it’s often already too late. Surgery and treatment options are limited, survival rates are devastatingly low, and global deaths are projected to rise by 70% by 2050. Yet, while the statistics are bleak, there’s finally a reason for optimism – and it’s one being powered not by big pharma or government intervention, but by a fashion campaign.
Since its launch in 2019, Ovaries. Talk About Them., the ongoing initiative by coveted Australian brand Camilla and Marc, has been unapologetically loud in its mission: to help bring the world’s first circulating tumour DNA-based early detection test for ovarian cancer to clinical trials by 2026. This month, the campaign entered its sixth year, marking a pivotal moment in both women’s health and fashion-led advocacy.
At the centre of this breakthrough is Professor Caroline Ford and her all-female team at the UNSW Gynaecological Cancer Research Group. Over the past five years, their work has been quietly, meticulously transformative. In 2024, the group identified three highly specific DNA biomarkers unique to ovarian cancer cells. Today, their focus is on the complex but crucial process of multiplexing – combining those markers into a single, highly sensitive blood test. If successful, it will be the world’s first early detection tool for ovarian cancer, with clinical trials expected to begin by 2026.
“We are now on the home stretch,” Professor Ford explains. “We’re confident in our biomarkers and are working to make sure the test is as sensitive and specific as possible. Early detection is the missing piece – and we’re closer than ever to delivering it.”
For Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman, founders of Camilla and Marc, the campaign has always been personal. What began as a response to losing their mother to ovarian cancer has grown into a global movement, raising over $2.5 million in direct research funding to date. Every t-shirt sold, every donation made, every slogan worn has helped push this work forward – not as awareness alone, but as tangible, measurable progress.
This year’s Ovaries. Talk About Them. collection strips back to the essentials. Bold slogans like “It All Begins With Ovaries” and “How Much Are Your Ovaries Worth?” appear across minimalist t-shirts and tanks, designed with stark typography that leaves no room for distraction. The aesthetic is pared back, raw, and urgent – a direct reflection of the message.
“Now, we need everyone to show up like never before — for our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends,” says Freeman-Topper. “If we get this across the line, we will change the future of women’s health globally.”
There’s also something quietly revolutionary about the makeup of the UNSW research team itself. Entirely female, the scientists have approached the work with a rare understanding of how ovarian cancer sits within the broader context of women’s health. Every step of the research has considered the lived realities of female physiology – from the impact of periods, endometriosis, and menopause — to ensure the test works in the real world.
Dr Kristina Warton, one of the lead researchers, notes that this perspective has been crucial:
“It’s been quite startling along the way how little research exists in these areas. Working as an all-female team has made us think broadly about the way this test will be used, and who it will serve.”
Fashion has long been a mirror to culture, but in this case, it’s a driver of change. Camilla and Marc have leveraged their platform in a way few brands dare, transforming their runway-ready aesthetic into a fundraising and awareness vehicle that’s anything but performative. The results speak for themselves: a test that could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year is now within reach.
For many, this campaign has redefined what it means for fashion to have purpose. It isn’t about trend cycles or seasonal relevance – it’s about aligning a brand’s power with a mission that extends far beyond the clothes.
As the campaign calls for renewed support in 2025, the message is clear: the next chapter of women’s health hangs in the balance. Buy a t-shirt. Donate. Share the story. Be part of a movement that will change what’s possible.
Because it all begins with ovaries.
