Madrid | March 21, 2016
A dozen young people with and without disabilities have paraded down the catwalk that Envera installed on March 17 at the Islazul Shopping Center in Madrid together with Being Inclusive, with the aim of celebrating the I Inclusive Fashion Day. The event aimed to "normalize" disability in fashion and claim that "dressing is a right" for all people.
Following the example of the New York Fashion Week held last year, this mall laid out the red carpet on Thursday to be walked by models with and without disabilities, who wore clothes from different brands such as Kiabi, Inside, Pimkie or Shana. The initiative showed that disability must also be present in the fashion world.
The day, which was conducted by Radio Terrícola, started with a workshop that showed "the basic rules to fill a closet", with tips and keys provided by designer Nerea Mayoral, co-founder of Being Inclusive. In this way, attendees were able to learn that a white shirt or jeans are "indispensable" in any self-respecting closet, or that "round collars give volume", while V-neck collars "stylize".
This workshop was followed by the presentation of the Looking for fashion contest award to swimmer Anna Ortiz, European champion in adapted swimming in the 50-meter breaststroke, as an example of the visibility of disability.
This professional athlete and journalist pointed out that "in the world of fashion we are often excluded", while demanding a greater presence of people with disabilities in major clothing brands and in their advertising. "The award is a step forward for people with disabilities," she added.
DO NOT DISGUISE DISABILITY
In this sense, she stated that, generally, those brands that try to include people with disabilities in their advertising to promote their clothes do so within "the canons of perfection" and beauty, so that they try to conceal it or, at least, that the disability that the models have does not go beyond what is socially accepted as "beautiful". But "if you make up the disability you are making up the reality and, therefore, what the human being is," criticized the swimmer.
The parade started with applause from the audience, while the models came out showing off the garments chosen for the occasion.
Nerea, a young disabled woman who wore a look reminiscent of the 'indie' trend, acknowledged to Servimedia before parading that she was "very nervous", since it is "the first time" she walked "on a red carpet", but then acknowledged feeling "like a 'top model'".
For his part, Mario, another young man with intellectual disabilities, showed a 'surfer' style that he was able to highlight at the time of parading. "I think it's good that brands work with people with disabilities," he said. He was followed by other models, some of them for a day.
LABOR INSERTION
Several of the participating models belong to Envera, an organization promoted by Iberia employees whose sons and daughters have a disability and whose objective is to help these boys and girls find employment through workshops, activities and training.
In fact, in the space they have in the Islazul Shopping Center they sell all those labeled and, therefore, unused products found in lost and unclaimed luggage at the airport, as well as handcrafted items made by these people with disabilities.
For the general director of Envera, Pedro Sobrino, the "normalization" of disability is necessary and this fashion show on the catwalk is one more way to make it visible.
In addition to clothing brands, the ILUNION jewelry line Pic&Chip participated in the initiative, whose sales manager, Alba Felípez, pointed out that its articles are "not only ecological, but also sustainable", because they are made by people with disabilities using recycled material. The cosmetics and hairdressing brands, Sephora and Extensionmanía, respectively, also participated, as well as five professional makeup artists who joined the event on a voluntary basis.
This event served to give greater presence to a group that, as Anna Ortiz emphasized, often goes unnoticed in fashion. In relation to fashion shows, she added that "human beings are imperfect" and that, "just as racial diversity is shown, functional diversity should also be represented".
Servimedia | Envera
