Forget Pinterest: Increasing Accessibility in Fashion
By: Tatiana Urban
In February 2015, Jamie Brewer became the first person with Down’s Syndrome to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week. Scrap the stick thin, blond models that strut through the dramatic lighting of high fashion’s biggest showdown, Brewer emanated beauty and confidence in a graceful black dress. Modeling for Carrie Hammer’s collection, Brewer’s confidence cut through the empty glitz of couture to illustrate the power of diversity in fashion. Carrie Hammer’s fashion show, which highlights models of all different shapes and abilities, recognizes the disabled community in appreciating, purchasing and wearing great clothes. Hammer’s efforts are not unique, in fact, her campaign is the tip of the iceberg. Normative shifts and conscious efforts to change the westerned prescription of beauty, and redefine whitewashed ideals of perfection has been slowly shifting the mainstream, and have expanded to include ability.
From American Eagle’s aerie Real campaign showcasing women of different sizes without photo retouching, to America’s Next Top Model contestant and high fashion model Chantelle Young, we’re slowly seeing images seep into the mainstream that contest what has been “standard” beauty norms. Pro Infirmis, a German organization focused on advocating for citizens with disabilities in education, politics and the workplace, created a series of mannequins that actually reflected the shapes and sizes of the people passing by on the other side of the window as part of their “Because who is perfect?” campaign. Pro Infirmis worked with individuals like Jasmine Rechsteiner, a Miss Handicap winner who has spine malformations, and Erwin Aljukić, an actor with brittle bone disease to develop the series.
These efforts are a strong start.
However, many suggest these glossy movements are late, too little, and only represent a sliver of diversity. Notice each of the noteworthy milestones for the fashion and beauty industry outlined above are campaigns produced by large consumer brands or franchises. Either brands seek to increase profit margins by dipping into the wallets of a section of the population left at the periphery, or that these campaigns are part of collective, soulful attempt to change the status quo. Maybe it’s both?
Increasing accessibility, ability and diversity in fashion means destructing discrimination and developing new habits in a very elitist industry. This motivation is likely more important than finding that answer, and to do so, we, collectively, must ask more questions.
Epicenter Community, a non-profit driving entrepreneurship at the center of Boston’s innovation economy, adds an active perspective to this conversation. Director Malia Lazu says “This is not your pinterest porn, this is in-your-face real, raw, confidence and fashion from the community, in the community.” Epicenter’s Fashion Accessibility program is creating on-ramps for Massachusetts communities of different abilities to be apart of the fashion industry, as consumers and creators. Malia and her team are producing a fashion show to highlight the talent of local designers and the confidence of Boston community members with disabilities. This event is an opportunity for participants to be confident in their ability, and illustrates the power of dressing to celebrate beauty. Lazu notes, “We’re also demonstrating the power of the disability wallet on main street. We’re showing the Copley’s of this state and country that when they open their doors to the disability community, they can make a profit, so why wouldn’t they?”
Fashion show model Keith Jones, President and CEO of SoulTouchin’ Experiences, a Boston-based consulting organization helping entities integrate inclusive policies and practices, explains, “Fashion, as much as it is trend setting, is a follower of society. What could make the fashion industry more accessible to people with disabilities is to think of us as people. That is a hard notion. You’ve got Born This Way on TV, which won an Emmy, but when you sit back and look at this media with a critical lens, are they portraying these people as human? I think that the fashion industry really needs to step back and look at us first as actual humans, who like cloths, and more importantly, as a consumer base. Nobody understands that the disability community has $1.8 trillion in economic buying power.”
Keith Jones speaking at a conference
These are powerful numbers. In the US alone there is an estimated total of 51.2 million citizens living with disabilities, and about 20.9 million families have at least one member with a disability. Keith highlights the profitable opportunity US businesses and consumer brands have largely ignored. On the aggregate, the disability community has disposable income not being reinvested in the market, and face confined shopping options. Mainstreet brands like H&M, Nike, Target, Williams Sonoma and Nordstrom aren’t addressing this market, and thus through inaccessibility (entering the storefront, finding clothes that fit or products that work) are limiting the disability wallet and driving away a major consumer base.
Peda Edouard with player wearing one of Mathmatik’s designs
Designer Peda Edouard, Founder and CEO of Mathmatik Athletics, a Boston-based athletic wear brand, is addressing the disability consumer base searching for versatile yet sharp business attire to wear to the office. “Having a chance to sit down with Keith really changed my whole perspective on what fashion meant. Keith and I got a chance to build on what kind of style he likes … I wanted to be able to be respectful of his business, and at the same time incorporate some of his style into this piece. Being that Keith is a presenter, I wanted to incorporate both business attire and a sporty look, so we came up with a french terry cloth, like a sweatsuit material, that looks like a blazer. When Keith is sitting down, whatever suit he’s wearing looks wrinkled … so having something that’s more relaxed, but still keeping that business casual aesthetic, while still being comfortable.”
Peda and Keith’s design partnership for Epicenter’s Fashion Accessibility Program mars lifestyle with personal style to produce a product that fits holistically with its intended market. Their partnership combines an ingrained understanding of the real challenge the disability community faces in finding and wearing great clothes with an innovative and creative design approach. “When you get dressed up you feel good,” says Keith, “Fashion in this context … is to give people the ability to actually get something that’s accessible, so the boy who’s been lookin’ at that girl in high school for the last four years can get dressed up and be like, “You wanna go to prom.” It sounds so simple and so cheesy, but for 60 million Americans that’s not the case.”
Keep an eye out for the full video and recap of the Fashion Accessibility Project coming very soon!
