April 18, 2022

10:04

Priscilla Peixoto – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – With the mission of putting into practice the inclusion allied with fashion, the Manauara Fashion project, in partnership with Abrace Mais Institute and the Association of Parents and Friends of Down’s in Amazonas (Apadam), organized this Saturday, 16, the “Inclusive Fashion”, the first inclusive fashion show of the North Region. The parade was held at, also a partner in the program, Manaus Plaza Shopping, located at Avenida Djalma Batista, Chapada neighborhood, South-Central Zone of Manaus.

According to the president of Apadam, Omar Maia, the parade has as a differential point the participation of people with and without disabilities. “When you see other parades called inclusive, in reality, they are segregating, because they only have people with disabilities parading and, in fact, this is not the idea. Our differential is to put models with and without disabilities, all together and mixed, valued without distinction,” he explains.

According to Omar, an average of 40 models stepped onto the runway to show their looks with various colors and styles for an audience of more than 200 people. Besides the fashion show, the event also featured artistic attractions, dances, and music to celebrate the relevance of inclusion and respect for differences.

“It’s beautiful to see everyone there having their moment. From the 6-month-old baby, to young people. From the Manauara Fashion project alone, there were ten models without disabilities who shared the shine with people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, those who use wheelchairs, and other types of disabilities as well,” points out Omar.

Opportunity and representativeness

In an interview to CENARIUM, the Manauara Fashion project director, Lucas Melkids, points out that people with disabilities are also part of the consumer public and need to be noticed and have a space in the market with more inclusive fashion.

“We have always wanted to take people with disabilities to the runways, to show that we are not only in search for valorization, but for opportunities within inclusive and accessible fashion. We want to show to the public that these people with some limitations are also consumers, and that shopkeepers must have a differentiated look so that our event is well accepted”, highlights the project’s director.

According to the founder of the Abrace Institute, Lorena Moncayo, the intention is to hold the event every six months and, besides working on the inclusion issue, the agenda also serves to collect non-perishable food that will later be distributed to needy families registered in the projects that require donations.

Slow Change

The beauty and fashion market, although it is known for demanding biotypes and imposing almost unattainable aesthetic standards, has slowly understood the importance of inclusion and diversity. There is still no detailed study, for example, when the subject is fashion allied to inclusion and accessibility.

An example that, little by little, fashion is understanding that it needs real people, with real bodies. And the textile sector aimed at the Plus Size public. According to the Brazilian Apparel Association (Abravest), between the years 2018 to 2019, the Plus Size fashion market will move around R$ 7 billion, in Brazil. According to Abravest, the sector showed growth of 21%, from 2018 to 2020.