By Maria Giuffrida
Thanks to a collaborative effort between students and faculty from NC State and Belk at Crabtree, confident smiles filled the hall at the North Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association’s (NCSCIA) women’s empowerment conference on Friday May 6th.
The conference, called “A Voice at the Table,” aimed to bring together women with disabilities for a community celebration and advocacy discussions. The event featured a fashion show featuring clothing and accessories created using the principle of universal design, a design process pioneered at NC State where products and spaces are designed to be accessible to people with a wide range of physical and intellectual abilities. Students from the Wilson College of Textiles created the clothing that appeared in the show.
The “Dos Fridas Adaptive Fashion Show” was a collaboration between the NCSCIA and Wilson College that was inspired by both the art of Frida Kahlo and the “Sonder” collection of Mary Grace Wilder and Sabrina Martin.
Related
fashion for everyone
Click the link to learn plus
Finding Inspiration
“Sonder” was a semester-long project created for a fashion development and product management class. It debuted at the 2021 Threads Senior Collection Show along with 14 other original collections. “Sonder” aimed to show how beautiful clothing can be accessible to everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive ability.
“We create pieces that work for multiple populations of people without compromising on style or comfort,” says Martin, who graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in fashion and textile management and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Textiles.
Martin and Wilder created looks for twelve models with and without disabilities. They included features such as alternate closures, drawstring sleeves, accordion side panels, natural fiber fabrics, and full knit garments. Each design was created to address the models’ needs, creating garments that were not only beautiful but functional as well.
Throughout the design process, Martin and Wilder relied on Universal Design principles and were fortunate to have the course taught by a leading expert in inclusive apparel design, Associate Professor Kate Annett-Hitchcock.
“When you talk about universal design, you think about engaging the user even before you start thinking about the initial design,” says Annett-Hitchcock. “It’s much earlier in the process that you start to address user needs.”
Related
How universal design can inform inclusive fashion
Find out how his research is making the world of fashion more inclusive.
Forging new connections
One of the models in the “Sonder” collection was a member of the NCSCIA who brought her positive experience to the organization.
“He went back to the director,” says Annett-Hitchcock. “Then they came up to me and said, ‘We’re having this women’s empowerment conference in May and we’d like to do a fashion show.'”
Both Martin and Wilder created pieces for the show, some repurposed from the “Sonder” collection, others completely original.
“I worked with someone who was visually impaired and he brought up a lot of great things,” says Martin. “It made me aware of other issues and fueled my thoughts on how to create more inclusive fashion.”
Martin took the model’s feedback and created garments that were reversible and could be worn with either side facing forward.
Annett-Hitchcock reached out to the College of Design, where a class of graduate students created accessories to include in the show.
“Almost every model that walked in the spinal cord injury program had a piece of clothing that was original and an accessory from the students at the College of Design,” says Annett-Hitchcock.
The show didn’t stop at the original designs; they also partnered with Belk to create a video that gives viewers tips on how to shop for adaptive fashion in retail stores.
“We contacted Belk and they donated three looks,” explains Martin. “We went through the entire buying process and took a video of the three women who wore the clothing and explained why this piece works and why it doesn’t.”
“All three models were in wheelchairs and took a tour of the store,” says Annett-Hitchcock. “They talked about accessibility in the hallways: what they can see, what they can’t see.”
The video and collaboration with Belk meant that some of the looks the audience saw could go straight from the catwalk to their closets. This is something that does not always happen with adaptive fashion, as many pieces are only available from specialized companies or at higher prices.
The event itself was designed with the audience in mind. The models walked at eye level instead of on a traditional elevated catwalk. Each designer also included a description of the look their model was wearing and her adaptive features.
“A lot of people came up to us afterward and said, ‘This is amazing, what a great idea!’ and he expressed how cool some of the concepts are.” Martin says.
Thinking in the future
Wilder and Martin show no signs of slowing down. The duo have founded their own company under the name “anyBODY”, where they continue to use universal design to make beautiful clothing accessible to everyone.
“We’re a really good team,” says Wilder, who graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in fashion and textile management. “As we went through the process, we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be a dream to do this in the future?'”
The startup recently received a $10,000 microgrant from the NC Idea Foundation, which supports promising young businesses in North Carolina.
Related
AnyBODY One of the two companies founded by alumni received a grant.
Learn how sustainability drives every decision behind your carpet business.
“The grant makes things feel a lot more real,” says Wilder. “And the programming that we’ve been participating in has been incredible.”
As part of the grant, Wilder and Martin received mentorship and guidance from the foundation, which is helping them move forward to bring ANYONE to the public.
“Everyone deserves to wear something that makes them feel safe and comfortable,” says Martin. “Ultimately, that is our goal.”
Source: textiles.ncsu.edu