Sergey Ermakov is the only blind designer in the world

People who first saw Sergei Ermakov think that this person is just drunk or a bit out of himself. Indeed, it is very difficult for a designer to navigate in space. But the reason is completely different - almost complete loss of vision. As a man with such a serious ailment was able to achieve unprecedented success in the fashion world, still remains a mystery.

Biography of the designer

Sergei Ermakov does not like to talk about his past life, so he carefully conceals all information about the place of his birth and education. It is known only that the designer was born on June 19, 1972 in Ukraine. At the age of 11, the boy was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, a disease in which the slightest wound or abrasion on the foot can lead to serious consequences and even amputation.

At the age of 17, Sergei Ermakov arrives in Kiev and enters the sewing school. Lives in a rented apartment with his future wife. In 2005, the spouses are divorced.

Soon after the diagnosis, Sergei Ermakov began to lose his sight. The disease progressed rapidly, and by the age of 30 the designer was almost blind. One eye he completely stopped seeing, and the second - only 5 percent. But this does not prevent him from creating a unique collection of clothes. His work was marked by eminent designers - Vyacheslav Zaitsev and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Glory and popularity

In 1996, when the designer had just begun to conquer Kiev, he already had the first secured clients: the stars of show business and politics. Then there were fumbling steps along the Ukrainian podium, and finally, a stunning success. Sergei Ermakov himself explains his achievements very simply - he does not work with his eyes, but with his soul, giving all 100%. As the designer himself admits, after losing sight, other senses, in particular, smell and intuition, have intensified.

Almost all models from the collections are made in a single copy. Sergey Ermakov is a designer who does not work for the flow, but creates really unique things. This is his unquenchable popularity.

Sergey Ermakov: clothes

Many people are interested in where the author of the collection derives his ideas from. Sergei Ermakov does not hide that his muse is Madonna. For her, the designer created several unique models, but his dream to present them to the singer has not been realized yet. In this subject, each of his shows ends. It can be a dress with the image of the Madonna, her song or clip.

It is curious that the designer often names dresses from his collections as female names. But these are not copies of their real things, but models-associations that arise in the master when forming the image. So, the name of Marlene Dietrich is called a trouser suit, precisely because from its submission it began to be worn by women all over the world. The dress, dedicated to Lisa Minnelli, is made in the Art Nouveau style: it is black, made of beads and feathers. In total there are 19 dresses in the "nominal" collection.

The designer creates his outfits blindfolded. He sees only light and silhouette, a little distinguishes colors. But his outfits fascinate and surprise. And this is not even possible for all the sighted artists.

The fight against the disease continues

During his entire life, the designer suffered at least 8 surgeries before his eyes. And this is not the limit. Thanks to the operations that took place in Kiev and Moscow, he managed to restore a part of the retina on one eye. Unfortunately, more domestic medicine is not yet capable.

Today Sergey Ermakov lives in a small village and does not release new collections. He almost does not move on his own, and does not get tired of lavish parties on the occasion of his birthday. The designer's disease is progressing. The master continues to work only with regular customers, but he does not have the forces to create full-fledged collections.

But, despite the difficulties, Sergei Ermakov - a great optimist. He does not lose hope in a few years to restore vision at least 50%.