Galina Yurievna Volkova is a social entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Ortomoda. Designer of footwear and clothing for people with disabilities and people with diabetes.
short biography
Volkova Galina Yuryevna was born in the town of Shakhty, Rostov region on October 19, 1963. Since childhood, the girl wanted to create something extraordinary. She was fond of dancing, and her fantasy worked for the ball, for the beauty. After school, she entered the Institute of Service and Entrepreneurship. Received a specialty "designer of leather goods".
First experience and first recognition
Later, she and her father moved to Nalchik. I got a job in the field of consumer services. A year later, she was invited to the Republican Fashion House as a leading fashion designer. For further work, it was necessary to prepare a collection of shoes for presentation at the central Fashion House in Moscow. The theme of the collection is “Shoes for the elderly”. A strict Moscow commission rejected almost the entire collection of Galina. But a bad experience is also an experience, she thought. For the next show, she brought over the knee boots and footwear of a national character, light pumps and velor boots, decorated with beads and butterflies. This time we managed to charm the commission and even get an offer from a well-known shoe store in Nalchik.
Her shoes were worn by all relatives. Once, on a walk with my mother, they went into an office on the way. Both were wearing shoes designed by Galina. The girl in the reception could not restrain herself and exclaimed that she had seen similar shoes in the Beryozka store. The first popular recognition of a novice author took place. Galina was very happy and realized that her creations are known, loved and recognized.
Alliance
The 90s have come. Everyone tried to organize their own business. Galina, after consulting with her dad, also decided to start entrepreneurial activity. She was confident that her designer shoes would be in demand. The Alliance company appeared. The main production is the production of children's footwear, free footwear for retail sale in the city's markets. Then Galina earned money for her first car.
She recalls with humor a time when she was competing with shoes from Asia that were cheap and pretty, but not practical. She remembers her collection of boots, which her mother called "swan song". Boots were combined, the top was made of high-quality leatherette under the "crocodile", the bottom was made of genuine leather. Boots "from Volkova" were in demand for several years. In Nalchik, over time, it became cramped. Galina decided to show herself in Moscow.
A case for god
In Moscow she completed her postgraduate studies at the Academy of Light Industry. Studying and writing a dissertation is boring for a creative person. Galina figured out how to show and realize her design skills. She offered to hold a competition for shoe designers at the MosShoes exhibition. The director of the exhibition liked the idea. It was in 1988. In the field of business and design, it was not calm, everyone survived as best he could. Galina managed to persuade many shoe designers to participate in the competition. The first place was then taken by fashion designer Denis Simachev.
Galina completed her postgraduate studies, and she was invited to the Research Institute of the Leather and Shoe Industry. Working in a state institution was depressing, everything was according to the standard. Long-standing ideas haunted. She created collections of shoes for dancing and, by the will of fate, took up shoes for patients with diabetes.
The story began with a request from a diabetic friend. He asked Galina to think about how to make comfortable shoes for diabetics. Gradually, she entered this topic and realized that diabetics really need special shoes, and not only as comfortable as possible, but also beautiful. Galina saw with her own eyes how people with ulcers on their feet suffer and cannot wear ordinary shoes. And she decided for herself that she had to master the production of footwear for diabetics and that would be her good deed.
Disabled fashion pioneer
In 2001, she organized a small production of footwear for the disabled and diabetic patients. The production was named Ortomoda. Galina wanted to somehow make herself known and in 2002 created her first collection. Thanks to the help of German journalists, the exhibition took place in Dusseldorf. Everything was top notch. Models with disabilities showed on the podium all the beauty and comfort of wearing specialized shoes. None of those present even understood that the shoes are shown by the disabled. The exhibition made a great impression all over the world. They started talking about Galina Volkova.
Difficulties in the world of fashion for the disabled
After the exhibition in Germany, Galina returned to Russia and got down to work with inspiration. But she soon realized that society was somehow irritated by her activities. Many were indignant and did not understand why she was trying so hard for the disabled. Some even perceived it as a mockery of disabled people, because they do not need beautiful suits and ball gowns, why do they need stylish shoes if they do not go to work? Now all this is in the past. Ortomoda has achieved success.
Modern production of footwear for the disabled
A lot of time has passed since 2001. The Ortomoda company has expanded and reached a new level of production. Shoes are made not only individually, but also taking into account all the physiological characteristics of the patient's foot. There is no need to go to Moscow for shoes, everything is done electronically in digital 3D format and immediately sent to the fashion designer, then to production. Galina took care of the availability, otherwise it makes no sense to produce shoes only in one region.
Now we can confidently say that the image works for the company. Galina passed all the obstacles of officials and the lack of understanding of society. She proved that highly specialized fashion is in demand and needed.
Galina - wife
G. Volkova met her husband Alexander Evgenievich Lysenko in one of the ministries, where she came with the problem of the high cost of shoes for disabled people. The meeting was serious and exciting. Officials listened reluctantly to the entrepreneur. They said that the state takes care of the disabled and gives them annual subsidies for the purchase of special footwear.
But this meeting nevertheless brought Galina good luck not only in commercial, but also in her personal life. Among the officials was her future husband, Alexander. He then helped, and Galina was invited to an exhibition in Paris. There they met and talked. The fateful meeting in the office led them first to the registry office, and then to the church.
The first place on Galina's life pedestal is taken by family, second is love, third is work, and fourth is success and achievement of goals.
Social entrepreneur
As a child, my mother told her daughter that nothing is given without difficulty, that you always have to make an effort, and then everything will work out. Today she is often asked: what is the key to success? She always answers that success is, first of all, strong, active and professional work and not only her, but the whole team. It doesn't matter who runs the business: a man or a woman, the main thing is to do it honestly, responsibly, purposefully and professionally.
From the very beginning, G. Volkova's activities were aimed at society. Her company employs several thousand people, of which 30% are disabled. Her students participate in various competitions and exhibitions.
All production has been brought to an innovative level. We are constantly working to improve the availability of services. I would like people in need to also enjoy "smart" shoes and clothes from Galina Volkova.
In 2015, the Moscow Public Relations Committee awarded her the honorary title “Woman - Director of the Year”.
