Diversity Through Disability
By: Ava Shapiro
The fashion industry has a history of exclusivity. Back when the major fashion labels we know today began, they were seen as the embodiment of pure luxury. However, the limitations on who can partake in fashion have slowly faded as clothing has become less of an expression of wealth and more about individuality. With movements surrounding racial discrimination, body positivity, and LGBTQ+ rights in the industry, the fashion community as a whole has been at the forefront of these attempts towards social equality. Yet even with progressive strides, a group of people have been constantly shut out from fashion, not seeing the public support that other marginalized groups have garnered: the disabled community.
People with disabilities make up the largest minority group, with about 15% of the world’s population being disabled in some way. With the recent social movements surrounding increased diversity within fashion, why isn’t there accurate representation for people with disabilities?
One of the most visible examples of the lack of disability representation in fashion is found within modeling. While racial and weight diversity have become more prevalent in print magazine shoots and on runways, it is quite rare to see examples of disability within fashion media. This negatively affects the disabled youth who love fashion. Representation is essential for inspiration — if you do not see people like you engaged with what you love, you will feel as though you are not welcome. Disabled models, such as Bri Scalesse and Jillian Mercato, understand the pain of this underrepresentation. In response, they have become role models for disability representation in the modeling industry. This step in assuring that disabled people are seen by the public spreads the notion that having physical differences does not make you any less worthy of participating in fashion.
Another obstacle for disability representation in fashion is that many traditional clothing items are not designed with disabled people in mind. For instance, many different materials used in clothing, like zippers or buttons, are not accessible to those with certain physical disabilities. Additionally, people who have unique body shapes and sizes due to their disabilities may not be able to find clothing that properly fits them. This issue hit home for Sinead Burke, disability activist and director of Tilting the Lens, an organization that consults fashion brands’ accessibility. Burke identifies as a little person, and has quickly become a leader of diversity and inclusion of disabled people within the world of fashion.
In an interview with The Business of Fashion, Burke described an incident during an exhibition that she participated in called Body Beautiful, a showcase aimed to portray diversity in fashion at the National Museums of Scotland. In this exposition, she was asked to bring some of her own clothing to be put on display. When she asked how her clothes would be shown, the organizers explained that they planned to hang her clothing from the ceiling while the other participants’clothing were to be dressed on mannequins. Immediately, Burke was inspired to create a mannequin molded from her body to ensure this issue could be resolved in the future. In doing so, she wishes to give fashion companies the chance to create accessible clothing for little people as well as let fashion students learn how to make pieces for their body proportions. With this opportunity for designers to produce clothing with accessibility in mind, there is hope for more functional fashion to enter our stores in the future.
Without the fortitude of activists like Sinead Burke, important work for equity within fashion could never be accomplished. However, we cannot rely on advocating against discrimination as the primary means of moving forward. Instead, the best way to incorporate proper representation within the fashion industry is by hiring more disabled people to work both behind and in front of the scenes. With more perspectives on disability representation in the fashion business, companies will gain insight on the best ways to cater to the needs of all consumers of their products.
Additionally, while this change would increase the diversity within production and design, it may also aid in the company’s overall performance. According to McKinsey and Company, businesses with more diversity perform by as much as 36% better than companies with less diversity. It is clear that diversity is good for business both socially and economically.
As aforementioned, a pillar of fashion history is its emphasis on exclusivity. Whether that exclusivity comes in the form of price, quantity, location, or reputation, it is an undeniable facet of this industry. Fashion, from its inception as a cultural phenomenon, was meant to serve as something unique and special for the individuals who can access it, creating an aura of sophistication and entitlement. With the increase in diversity and inclusion efforts in the fashion industry, will this staple piece of what makes it so special be lost?
While some may argue for the preservation of exclusivity in fashion, it seems as though that vision is being left behind for the better. The industry is opening its doors for all to appreciate, replacing past restrictions with the passion that all of those who love it holds, regardless of identity. With this philosophy, fashion can be exclusive to those who cannot live without it, no matter what they look like. Rather than fashion being a status symbol reserved only for those who are privileged enough to access it, it can now be a marker of adoration for individualism.
Representation matters in the presentation, business, and design of fashion in order for it to become beloved by everyone who is drawn to it. While we pursue the expansion of diversity in this industry, the inclusion of disabled people must be in the conversation. After all, everyone wears clothes, and we should love the things we wear, right?