FTL Moda, headed by Antonio Urzí, made history when it participated for the first time to the New York Fashion Week, featuring the first ever male amputee – Jack Eyers, a British personal trainer – to catwalk for the runway.

Antonio Urzí, who worked for Armani, Versace and has designed costumes for Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Britney Spears gathers differently abled models from all over the world to represent the new collections of topnotch fashion designers.

Models in wheelchairs and crutches truly revolutionize the fashion world which has inflicted on all of us unattainable beauty references, that even conventional abled people have difficulty attaining. The Italian expression “The world is beautiful because it is diversified” seems to be the essence of FTL Moda, who brings on the catwalk a variety of human beings, each one equipped with a unique beauty.

The show that was presented in the Big Apple was in collaboration with Fondazione Vertical – an Italian foundation, that supports research to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. The collection, titled “FTL Moda Loving You” featured leather and metal materials with a heavy use of gold and silver body paint.

The Italian show producer Ilaria Niccolini explains how it has been fulfilling for her , both professionally and on a human level, to completely embrace diversity: “It is a very significant moment in my fashion career. This opportunity finally opens the most recognized runways in the world to these beautiful talents, ready to show that disability is very often just a mental state by performing on the runway next to some of the best models on the scene.”

This epitomizes how beauty is all about feeling comfortable within our bodies. It’s a mental state we project on others. If we feel gorgeous, those surrounding us will perceive us as such, despite our limbs and shapes may be different from the ones of the masses.

The “longuette” is the French term that refers to those pencil skirts that are usually slim-fitting, straight, narrow cut and rigorously fall below the knee. It is a common creed that only very tall women can afford to wear them, nevertheless the last worldwide Fashion Weeks have sentenced that they will be adamantly back in fashion for spring 2015.

Spring, indeed is knocking on our doors, and with it are colorful, floral patterns, on dresses and skirts, and needless to say on longuettes! At the New York Fashion Week Michael Kors presented Pre-Raphaelites-inspired pencil skirts that seemed to be contaminated by the flared structure that was so popular in the 50s. Dolce&Gabbana’s design also falls under the spell of the Bebop-Peggy Lee era, through a cascade of gigantic polka dots; that are also adopted by Valentino’s multicolored creations.

Pencil skirts nowadays can be fun even when they have a more casual style, such as the ones made by APC and Miu Miu, or the plissé version by Burberry. But if you want to opt for a luscious sensual longuette, better stick to the sheer effect proposed by Alice Olivia through the use of black tulle.

Just like Mary Quant’s mini skirt revolutionized fashion during the swinging sixties, the pencil skirt represented a true innovation when Christian Dior first introduced it in his Autumn-Winter collection in 1954. Longuettes became popular very quickly, especially for office wear, to overcome the austere economic climate given by the Cold War. Shorter strides were forcefully imposed on ladies, because of the way the skirt envelops the female curves. This triggers women to move with major grace. These nifty evergreen wardrobe must haves, represent a timeless classic that differentiate a girl from a woman. No wonder Aretha Franklin was wearing a longuette when she sung “A Natural Woman.”