Embracing disabled models
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Shanghai Daily, March 16, 2015
 |
|
Disabled models boldly storm the runway on prosthesis and wheelchairs for thisyear’s NYFW, to draw awareness to a gap in the luxury clothes line. |
FTL Moda, which promotes ‘Made in Italy,' presented "Loving You" at New York's fashion week last month, where it took to the runway in collaboration with Italy's Fondazione Vertical, a spinal cord injuries research foundation, and Models of Diversity, a 6-year-old agency devoted to change the face of fashion and modeling.
FTL president Ilaria Niccolini said she believes "we're ready for this."
"This presentation wants to show the world that the most prestigious places for fashion are becoming open to disability," she said.
"Our top maisons are really trying to find the new look for the runway. We've seen so much in the fashion world already, sometimes we tend to go loud, scandalize, confront — while we just need to look around" to find diversity.
Eyers admitted it's not easy to persuade designers to use disabled models.
"A lot have said they are afraid to use us for a number of reasons, they don't want to do something that would offend us or the public.
"They're scared, they don't know how to use us, how their clothes would fit on a wheelchair model or an amputee — also they don't want the attention to be on the model rather than the clothes," he said.
But since appearing in the London 2012 Paralympics' opening ceremony and going on to star in a number of advertisements, he said he has overcome the lack of confidence he suffered as a child and believes fashion can do the same for others.
As models from New York's Global Disability Inclusion and London's Models of Diversity work among their able-bodied colleagues under the bright lights, Niccolini said she would not be deterred.
"Brands, actors, performers in general are endorsing this concept and I hope this will be absolutely normal, let's say, in two years," she said.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)