Niche of unlimited possibilities

The tyranny of the standard of ideal beauty is increasingly shaken by democratic ideas about the breadth of the concept of beauty and the equality of all people. The right to vote in the fashion market is given to those population groups whose needs were previously ignored. Today we are no longer simply not surprised, but admired on the catwalk and in advertising by models in old age, full, short, non-standard appearance, with unusual leather pigmentation, models with developmental disabilities and disabilities. True, in Russia, with rare exceptions, we still have to watch these global trends from the computer screen and mobile devices.

One of these rare exceptions is the Bezgraniz Couture project, for which designers develop fashion collections designed for people with disabilities. This year, the Bezgraniz Couture collection "wearABLE future", created by students of the British Higher School of Art and Design in Moscow, was shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia at the Manezh. The show was attended by non-professional models - people using a wheelchair, amputated, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. The audience gave a standing ovation. But this is not so much a sign of growing social tolerance, which, judging by the recent scandal with her sister Natalia Vodianova, still leaves much to be desired, as a sign of welcome and recognition by the Russian fashion industry of the new target audience.

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We would venture to suggest that the fashion market, oppressed by the crisis, sees in it partly its own reflection, but above all, of course, the potential for commercial gain, but Yanina Urusova herself emphasizes that Bezgraniz Couture is not a charitable project. No matter how cynical it may sound, it turns out that the limited capabilities of some people open up wide opportunities and a new niche for others who produce clothes and shoes. The company "Econika", which provided shoes for the show Bezgraniz Couture "wearABLE future", has already taken note of this idea. Other companies are likely to follow soon. Because after the show at the Manege, the results of the world's first research on the purchasing power of people with disabilities, conducted by experts from the School of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent University, UK, took place. “The demand for clothes and accessories that take into account the peculiarities and limitations of the body is huge, but there is practically no supply,” Yanina Urusova, founder of Bezgraniz Couture, summed up his conclusion.