The Japanese Takafumo Tsuruta revolutionized the beauty standards at TENBO Ready-To-Wear Fall 2015 fashion show in Tokyo Fashion Week, introducing an easy-to-wear collection unveiled on the catwalk by blind models, using wheelchairs or by wearing prosthetic limbs.
The excentric fashion designer chose a mix of disabled models to showcase his peculiar TENBO collection with most of them donning bright yellow wigs. Tsuruta designed the line of outfits for all people, including those with disabilities, using items such as magnetic buttons for users to put and take off clothes easily.
Introducing «something called people’s design», Tsuruta is not the first designer to celebrate disability in a major catwalk, after an actress with Down’s Syndrome and a male amputee model graced this year New York and Milan Fashion Week’s runways.
The autumn/winter collection’s concept is all about the clothes being aimed at everyone in the world, reaching a wider audience than typical high-fashion items. «I think it’s fashion responsibility to have trendy and easy-to wear clothing.», explains Tsuruta.
One of the performers in the runway Ami Sano (24) was born with a rare disorder that left her without all the members except a left foot and she didn’t really dream she would end up modeling at Tokyo Fashion Week.
Ami appeared before the packed-out hall in her wheelchair, donning a white wedding dress, in the show’s moving finale.
“I think people in general will be thankful for this type of design, and there are various ways of arranging the pieces,” Sano said.
Opening the show was the blind model Rina Akiyama, 27, awarded swimmer at the 2012 London Paralympics. Akiyama wore dotted trapeze dress inspired by Braille said it was “unique and exclusive” for such a fashion event to take place in Japan, which is gearing up to the Olympics and Paralympics in 2020.
Criticized for their elitist choice of models, global fashion weeks have lately taken small but significant steps towards greater diversity.
“In the future, people with disabilities won’t have to give up their dreams of modelling and will be able to work hard to achieve them.” — AFP
