All the New York Fashion Week debuts, homecomings and late-night events you need to know
Over the past few years, the fashion industry has made strides towards inclusivity. Although it is now almost the norm to see models of diverse races, bodies and genders on the runway, one community that remains underrepresented is that of people with disabilities. This season, two events will aim to turn the tide. The September 8 Double Take fashion show is the result of a collaboration between Open Style Lab, an organization dedicated to creating functional and wearable solutions for people of all abilities, and the spinal muscular atrophy community. Andrea Saieh, a 2022 Open Style Lab Fellow whose work will be featured on the show, tailored a purple velvet suit for author Shane Burcaw, who has SMA and uses an electric wheelchair. “I added an invisible zipper in the back of the jacket to make dressing easier and stretch panels at the elbows to accommodate bending,” Saieh explained. “Matching tailored velor pants have two layers – a comfortable L-shaped base and an interchangeable cover that goes over the top.” On September 12, the Runway of Dreams Foundation will return to NYFW for its seventh year and showcase adaptive fashion from Tommy Hilfiger, Target, and Zappos, among others. With brands like Gucci also putting disability inclusion at the forefront, how long before the rest of the industry follows suit? We’ll watch.—Laia Garcia-Furtado
Comments are closed.