The Kindred venue in Hammersmith recently hosted
a Future of Fashion event, featuring a show that placed the spotlight on
clothing devised with disabled bodies in mind.
Designer Kat Paylor-Bent used the event to show
off her ‘Feel Seen 25’ collection. Braille descriptions were added using
Swarovski crystals, marking the first time braille is believed to have been
featured on a UK catwalk.
Ms Paylor-Bent is the founder and CEO of the
adaptive fashion brand Seated Sewing, which provides bespoke outfits to the
disabled community.
“Fashion should work for everyone, not
the other way around”
A diverse range of models was featured on the
catwalk in West London, including wheelchair users and war veterans, in a
showcase of how adaptive apparel can serve everyone’s needs and
preferences.
Ms Paylor-Bent, who is also a wheelchair user,
commented: “Most fashion is made for people who can walk. Fashion should work
for everyone, not the other way around.”
Also taking to the runway was the Mayor of the
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Councillor Patricia Quigley.
Ms Quigley observed: “Kat’s designs show how
reasonable adjustments can be both practical and beautiful. My own Mayoral robe
was designed to be inclusive, accessible, and fashionable for my specific body
shape, and for me to feel fabulous wearing it.”
A showcase of fashion that functions for
a diverse range of bodies
As Durham-based designer Kat has explained, disability
brings various challenges in terms of how clothing is worn and fitted.
In her words: “When I became disabled, my clothes
didn’t fit because my body changed.
“When you’re a wheelchair user, you lose muscle
tone, widen in places, get catheters or nasal feeding tubes – and suddenly you
need to access parts of your body most people would never have to.”
She expressed pride in her brand’s designs making
wearers “feel like humans, not patients.”
Kat’s commitment to the design and production of
clothing that genuinely works for a variety of bodies, is reflected in her
collection’s practical features, such as zips for easily accessing medical
devices like colostomies and catheters. The design of these features places a
strong emphasis on ensuring the dignity of the wearer is always
preserved.
Braille descriptions are also incorporated into
each garment. Running the length of the dress, these descriptions provide
information about the fabric, style, and fit of the given item.
Disabled representation in fashion is
crucial, because “we cannot create what we do not know”
Also present at Kindred to help bring the event
to life was Paralympic silver medallist, disability champion, and entrepreneur,
Samanta Bullock.
The former wheelchair tennis player – no stranger
to modelling herself, having done so at fashion weeks in London, New York, and
Dubai – hailed fashion as a “tool for social transformation.”
She added: “We cannot create what we do not know
– that’s why representation in this space is so important.”
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