Restaurants and bars in Vilnius, the capitol of Lithuania, are reopening as restrictions are lifted. But social distancing is still in place and that posed a challenge for restaurant owner Bernie Ter Braak, “Empty tables inside our restaurant look rather odd, and we don’t have any way to remove them,” he explained.
Then Braak and designer Julija Janus had a brilliant idea! They contacted some local fashion designers and invited them to dress mannequins in their latest designs and place them at empty tables in reopened restaurants, cafes, and bars. Now through the end of May, several dozen establishments are featuring fashions from nineteen boutiques. Information about the clothes and designers is made available for interested patrons.
“The fashion industry is particularly affected by the lock-down,” said Julia Janus. “Local boutiques used to sell the niche, original pieces created by local designers. As they are currently closed due to the quarantine, designers do not have many opportunities to showcase their latest collections, and in general, the consumption is down. We hope that this campaign will move the waters and local designers will gain some visibility.”
In the spirit of collaboration one of Europe’s leading mannequin manufacturers, IDW, showed their support by generously offering to loan their mannequins free of charge.
As I said, this is a brilliant idea and I hope it catches on around the globe. I would definitely have lunch or grab a cup of coffee with a fashionable dummy.
* Images provided by Go Vilnius.
