2019 was a pivotal year for the adaptive sector of the fashion industry. I know, I’ve followed fashion and clothing trends for the disabled for over two decades. Last year the pace at which I received interview requests to discuss my work as a disability fashion stylist signified a cultural shift. But did this interest translate into more Accessible, Smart, Fashionable™ clothing options for people with disabilities? No, not yet.
In the time of COVID-19, what happens to the progress made in the adaptive fashion sector of the industry over the last couple of years? I don’t know the answer to this question, but I’m confident that we will find a way forward. So I’m feverishly reading everything I can, attending Zoom conversations, listening to podcasts, and watching Instagram Lives to see what other professionals, who know more than I do, are saying about the state of the fashion industry during the time of COVID 19. I also have a lot of questions about where people with disabilities fit into this new normal, so I’ve dedicated an entire category of my blog to explore questions like:
I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I will continue to explore them. Let’s have this critical conversation; considering the impact of this pandemic that’s claimed so many lives and left so many jobless in such a short period of time, this an opportunity to reimagine the fashion industry. Make it slower, inclusive, sustainable, responsive.
NOTE: This article was updated May 15, 2020
Please Stay Safe and Be Well,
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