People who first saw Sergei Ermakov, it seems that this person is just drunk or a little 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 person, with such a serious ailment he was able to achieve unprecedented success in the fashion world, it remains a mystery to this day.
Designer Biography
Sergey Ermakov does not like to talk about his past life, so he carefully hides all the information about his birthplace and education. It is only known that the designer was born on June 19, 1972 in Ukraine. At 11 years old, the boy was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus - a disease in which the slightest wound or attrition on the foot can lead to serious consequences and even to amputation.
At the age of 17, Sergei Ermakov arrives in Kiev and enters a sewing school. Lives in a rented apartment with his future wife. In 2005, the couple divorced.
Soon after diagnosis Sergey Ermakov began to lose his sight. The disease progressed rapidly, and by the age of 30 the designer was almost blind. He completely stopped seeing with one eye, and only 5 percent with the second. But this does not prevent him from creating unique collections of clothes. His work was marked by eminent designers - Vyacheslav Zaitsev and Jean Paul Gaultier.
Fame and popularity
In 1996, when the designer had just begun to conquer Kiev, he already had the first wealthy clients: stars of show business and politics. Then there were timid steps along the Ukrainian podium, and finally, a stunning success. Sergey Ermakov himself explains his achievements very simply - he works not with his eyes, but with his soul, giving all his best. As the designer himself admits, after loss of vision, his other senses intensified, in particular his sense of smell and intuition.
Almost all models from the collections are made in a single copy. Sergey Ermakov is a designer who does not work on a stream, but creates truly unique things. This is its unquenchable popularity.
Sergey Ermakov: clothing models
Many are interested in where the author of the collections draws his ideas from. Sergey Ermakov does not hide that his muse is Madonna. For her, the designer created several unique models, but his dream to give them to the singer has not yet been realized. This theme ends with each of his shows. It can be a dress with the image of the Madonna, her song or clip.
It is curious that the designer often calls dresses from her collections by female names. But these are not copies of their real things at all, but association models that arise in the master during image formation. So, a pantsuit was named after Marlene Dietrich , precisely because women from all over the world began to wear it with its supply. The dress dedicated to Lisa Minnelli is made in the Art Nouveau style: it is black, made of beads and feathers. In total, 19 dresses are presented in the “personal” collection.
The designer creates his outfits blindly. He sees only light and silhouette, slightly distinguishes colors. But his outfits fascinate and amaze. And this is not even possible for all sighted masters.
The fight against the disease continues
Throughout his life, the designer has undergone at least 8 eye operations. And this is not the limit. Thanks to operations that were carried out in Kiev and Moscow, he managed to restore part of the retina in one eye. Unfortunately, domestic medicine is not yet capable of more.
Today Sergey Ermakov lives in a small village and does not produce new collections. He almost does not move on his own, and does not set up magnificent parties on the occasion of his birthday. The designer’s illness is progressing. The master continues to work only with regular customers, but he no longer has the strength to create full collections.
But, despite the difficulties, Sergey Ermakov is a great optimist. He does not lose hope in a few years to restore vision at least 50%.