The Story Behind These Mannequins Will Change Your Perception About The Perfect Body
Amidst the debates about fat-shaming and fit-shaming and often unattainable standards of beauty, one advocacy group is making sure that people know that there's beauty in what others deem imperfect.
By Sadho Ram — 06 Dec 2013, 03:31 PM — Updated almost 11 years ago
A Swiss charity has created mannequins based on the bodies of disabled people in a bid to raise awareness that no one has a perfect body
Pro Infirmis, an organisation for people with disabilities, worked with people suffering from scoliosis (a curved spine), shortened limbs and a woman in a wheelchair.
Each had a mannequin made to perfectly reflect their body shape - which, to their delight, was then displayed in a high street store in Zurich's main shopping street.
The project is titled as "Because Who Is Perfect? Get Closer."
The project was devised to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities this week.
dailymail.co.ukThe beautiful story is captured in a moving four-minute film, capturing the joy of the 'models' seeing their own unique figures recreated for the first time. Watch here:
The film follows the four volunteer 'models' who enter a warehouse feeling anxious
The models are radio host and film critic Alex Oberholzer, Miss Handicap 2010 Jasmine Rechsteiner, athlete Urs Kolly, actor Erwin Aljukić and blogger Nadja Schmid.
Each is measured before mannequins are painstakingly crafted to mirror their bodies.
Each person returns to the warehouse to see their carefully created model - hidden under a blanket when they first enter.
The film follows four volunteers who enter a warehouse with trepidation. They include actor Erwin Aljuki (pictured)
Image via dailymail.co.ukThe film captures the remarkable moment each person sees their unique sculpture - and reveals the internal struggle some of those involved have accepting their appearance.
Each of the 'models' are measured before mannequins are painstakingly crafted to mirror their bodies
'It's special to see yourself like this, when you usually can't look at yourself in the mirror,' said one of the female 'models', upon seeing her mannequin
The mannequins were actually placed in store windows, filling the shopfronts on Zurich's main downtown street, Bahnhofstrasse, in honor of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December
"Seeing it there for real is quite a shock," said one of the video participants. And that's exactly the point.
The front window in a shop on Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich's main downtown street.
Image via dailymail.co.ukRaising awareness of those with disabilities, specifically in the realm of fashion, is a conversation that's already begun with groups such as Models of Diversity, which aims to bring models of all shapes, sizes and colors to the fashion runways and media.
Far from the tall, curve free models seen world wide, passers-by see a a woman with a curved spine.
Image via dailymail.co.uk