The show of finalists and winners award of the 2nd Annual International Design Contest “Bezgraniz Couture™ INTERNATIONAL FASHION AND ACCESSOIRE AWARD 2012” occurred on May 12, 2012. The show was in the presence of the 14 expert jury members from 9 countries. This contest is a unique international and professional event which raises the “universal design” issue and clothing design for people with “out-of standard” body and special needs.

The final fashion show was attended by 9 collections. The winners are:

1st place – Natalya Kostina (Arkhangelsk, Russia) with the collection for children with severe celebral palsy (10,000 USD);

2nd place – Christine Wolf ( Berlin, Germany) With a collection of “Architecture of Fashion” for women who use wheelchairs (7,500 USD);

3rd place – Dmitri Kluchevsky (Moscow, Russia) with the collection of “Analyzing the Anatomy” for men who use wheelchairs (5,000 USD).

Award for Innovation went to Inaye Brito and Harumi Sato (San Paulo, Brazil) with an out-of-contest collection “Once Upon A Time” for blind children (2,500 USD).

Coming in 4th and the 5th place and receiving professional steamers from BSH were Inaye Brito and Harumi Sato (San Paulo, Brazil) with a collection of “Wings of Brazil” and Lena Lukyanova (Berlin, Germany) with a collection called “Button- Fastener- Ribbon”.

We remind you that the collections of Tönnies Angela (Berlin, Germany), Elena Shipilova( Moscow, Russia), Firuza Bayanova (Tomsk, Russia) and Vivien Schlueter (Ertzen, Germany) came to the final.

Collection of clothing and accessories, submitted for the contest had to satisfy the demands of people with specific requirements and with limited mobility. The design must correspond to an innovative approach, both in a new lifestyle creation, and in apply of fabrics and materials. Collections were judged by the jury on the following criteria basis:
• Apply of Creative Design – 30%: as creativity and innovation in problem solution,
• Apply of Commercial Design – 50%: as the evocation of fashion seasonable trends, the balance between design, technology performance comfort and aesthetics,
• Apply of fabrics and materials – 20%: as creativity and professional approach to work with selected fabrics and materials.

The contest was supported by many large partners, such as:
Messe Duesseldorf Moscow, exhibition “Integration. Life. Society”, OTTO Group, Social Fund ( community trust) of Vladimir Smirnov, ADVENTUM, Ottobock, Lanna Kamilina, DHL, FALKE, Ibis Hotel, “Coffee Kantata”, OMRON, Roedl, Russia Consulting, BSH, CAPAROL, Schiedel, Crowne Plaza, Global Impex, ANTOR Business solutions, Marketkompas, Beiten Burkhardt, TRIDVORNOVA ART BUREAU, Dialogue In the Dark Moscow, YES, Teatro del Gusto, The United Nations Information Centre based in Moscow, Association of European Business in Russia (AEB), Russian-German Chamber of Commerce Network (AHK), Rotary Club Perm (Russia), Association of German Fashion and Textile Designers (VDMD), IGEDO COMPANY.

The information partners of the contest are: Open-Space.ru, magazines “ Big City” and “ Fashion Theory“, inter-net portals Snob.ru, TV Rain, Moscow 24, Gogol.TV, Utro.ru, Fashion United, Atel-e.ru, Fashion24.in, Moda.ru, Inter-moda.ru, Onlinedress.ru, Riamoda.ru.

Tobias Reisner, the Chairman of surveillance board for Bezgraniz Couture contest:
“Making positive changes in the lives of people with disabilities and limited mobilities has proven once again the need to conduct a second annual Bezgraniz Couture contest of special fashion. It has been proven that the contest is not just a one time thing, but a long term project with a purpose in adding positive changes in the life of people with disabilities and limited mobilities. Our mission – to make this a long term project which is important to us to create a special fashion as an equivalent and future heading for the global fashion industry. Holding one of the stages of the competition on the Internet is a prerequisite for Bezgraniz Couture in becoming a platform for the further transit of the unique fashion idea throughout the world”.

Yanina Urussova, Director General of Non-Profit Partnership Cultural Centre “Bezgraniz”:
“The goal of such contest is to show the real humanity to people with disability and not to relate them to the “othered” individuals. As a matter of fact, the issue of disability is not an exception but a rule, which appears in various shapes. We`d rather get used to such thinking. Our catwalk models recall to me the next science fiction movies as “The Fifth element” and “Star Trek”. I think that our designers who create contemporary images of modern life shall start face the future and new challenge as Human Centered Design. The future is in diversity and not in setting some standards. The future of this design concept and relevant apply of creative, functional and aesthetic potential shall be based on diversity, which may help to recognize an expert”.

Gudrun Weiss-Dannholz Creative Director of Bezgraniz Cou-ture contest:
“We cannot change the whole world but we can lead to a conscious change of the fashion world structure. And vice versa if we manage to change the fashion world we will change the entire world”.

Evgeniya Voskobojnikova, the “Face” of the Bezgraniz Couture contest, producer of TV Campaigne “Rain”:
“Bezgraniz Couture gives us a chance not only to support those who struggle for every opportunity not only to gain full-colored and proper life but to discover new possibilities of own body function”.

Valentin Safin, art-director of Bezgraniz Couture contest”:
“Not all of us are capable to accept the disabled people as fully integrated individuals in the society. The consciousness of people is much restricted and affected by some stereotypes and prejudices. That is why we do our best to make it clear to everyone that whoever you are, you do need the comfort, elegance and style. I am pretty sure, that Bezgraniz Couture will wash the boundaries of traditional opinion away and all of us will feel comfortable on this planet”.

Albina Bikbulatova,candidate of technical science, State academy of ecomics and services( Ufa town,Bashkorstan republic) Institution of design and national cultures director, a designer, a winner of Bezgraniz Couture 2011. More of 10 years experience in design of adaptive clothing:
“The principal difference between the Bezgraniz Couture contest from similar competitions and its main advantage is the fact that the majority of the initiatives in creation of adaptive clothing field are concentrated on special clothing design and not on what is shown on the catwalks and for everyday wear. The design of clothing for disabled people, haute couture, “podium” clothing puts them on a level with the rest of the individuals and emphasizes the fact that we are all – just humans”.

Linor Goralik, a researcher of a costume theory, author of fashion-blog fashion-that.com:
“To my mind talking about fashion for the disabled is the same as talking about the objective reality: about people who can walk outside, go to work, come with a visit, turning around in a wheelchair in front of a mirror without any feeling of discomfort. I think that their invisibility level and averting our eyes must be opened somewhere here – may be not at the level of media or mass culture language, but at least at the level of the hidden language of clothing.

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The Annual International Design Contest “Bezgraniz Couture™ INTERNATIONAL FASHION AND ACCESSOIRE AWARD 2012” occurred already the 2nd time. The contest organizer is a Cultural centre Bezgraniz, which is busy with society education in disability issues.
Bezgraniz Couture contest is aimed to support designers who create comfortable, modern and stylish clothing for people with structural body peculiarities and restricted mobility and disability. This year the jury has been shown more than 80 bids submitted by fashion designers from different countries.
During the contest the models with and without disabilities showed more than 50 of designers’ art works, created by the finalists of the contest. Among the shown works there were evening dresses, men’s suits, baby clothing, casual clothing, accessories, jewelry and sportswear.

Contest fashion show was directed by Valentin Safin, director of fashion shows VOLVO Fashion Week Moscow

Contacts:

Yanina Urussova
Director General of Cultural Centre “Bezgraniz”
Urussowa@marketkompas.ru
Mob. +7 926 247 97 27