I want to address something that I’ve been reading online about fashion for people with disabilities for the last 2-3 yrs.
This is not a rant, but it is a thread.

Functional Fashion Movement, although extremely pivotal, it is not in any way the beginning of design for people with disabilities. For two decades I’ve acknowledged that this is not new. The research I read went back to the 1930’s.

Even the work in the 1930’s was not new. The idea of designing for disabilities, rehabilitation, home economics, physical therapy, and so much more have contributed to exploration for dressing with disabilities.

Natalie Wright Curated a beautiful Exhibition on Functional Fashion that illuminated Helen Cookman’s work with occupational therapist Muriel Zimmerman. I highly suggest checking it out.

Over the years including in my TEDx Talk I’ve noted that the U.S. was 10 to 12 years behind the rest of the world in the design for disabilities market, and I stand by that analysis.

Family members designing for loved ones with disabilities, and small brands have always been part of the foundation of the adaptive sector of the fashion industry. For many years there was no major movement in the states.

While in other parts of the world there were public-facing activities including modeling agencies for people with disabilities, TV shows featuring people with disabilities, and more.

Around 2006 I started to notice more substantive murmurs about dressing with disabilities in the fashion industry. From the first show featuring models with disabilities during NYFW at Cipriani’s 42nd Street in 2007, to AG Apparel’s feature in Oprah Magazine in 2008 and more.

In 2010 I started writing fashion and disability related articles for publications, I started my own blog Luv What U Wear (now Cur8able). Shortly after more brands and organizations came on the scene that were interacting w/the fashion industry...

Magna Ready was a huge game changer, Runway of Dreams, Open Style Lab...The point of this thread is that design for disabilities is not new, but design for disabilities is not the barrier to cracking the code to scale adaptive clothing in the fashion industry. It never has been.

The barrier is Attitudinal, which is why books on this topic from 1935, 1955, 1975 til today identify the same problems with mass market sales. After watching this space for almost 30 years, I’m seeing some wonderful progress, however

until we change the way we as a society think about disabilities, the market will never fully develop. That’s why I see my work as a social justice issue. I may know how to shop for clothing for PWD, but I’m still learning about making my media as accessible as possible.

I’m proud to continue learning and growing, that’s what we all have to do to see real, lasting change.