Disability & fashion
how far has the fashion industry come?
Wow it’s been almost a decade since I wrote my first article on fashion and disability (a Guardian piece back in 2017). At that time, there was very little coverage of disability in fashion media (if any).
As a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed dreamer, I was optimistic that the industry was ready for change - just waiting to open itself up to a community that had been underrepresented for too long…
So how much has actually changed? How far has the fashion industry come in the intervening decade?
If you look around today, disability is often invisible to the fashion gaze. Honestly, it’s demoralising that many aspects of what I wrote in that 2017 article still stand - right now.
For an industry that’s renowned for its breakneck pace, progress has been slowww - we haven’t yet seen the sustained progress I believed was possible.
On reflection, however, there have been some huge milestones for inclusion (the majority of these driven by activists, designers and creatives from inside the disability community itself).
So, while progress has not been linear - nor earth-shattering - it’s important to reflect on just how many gains have been made. If you look at them all together, side by side, these events build critical momentum - enough to reach a tipping point that, in time, will bring about an irreversible shift.
ELLIE GOLDSTEIN’S GUCCI CAMPAIGN
2020
Gucci unveils its beauty campaign starring Ellie Goldstein, an 18-year-old model with Down’s syndrome. The response was euphoric, a rallying cry against the aesthetic ideals that have shackled the fashion and beauty industry for decades. The Instagram post racked up 850k likes — tenfold the number on Gucci’s average post. It was, in the words of the Italian brand, their “biggest liked post EVER”.
AILLE DESIGN
2020
Aille Design pioneers the use of Braille in fashion, embedding tactile text into garments to make clothing more accessible for blind and visually impaired people.
NIKE ADAPTIVE
2021
Nike releases its ‘Go FlyEase’ trainer – a hands-free shoe you can step into without bending down or tying laces.
Nike’s hands-free footwear technology was first inspired by Matthew Walzer, an American student with cerebral palsy, who wrote to the brand about his dream of tying shoelaces independently. ‘As a teenager who is striving to become totally selfsufficient, I find this extremely frustrating and, at times, embarrassing’, his letter read.
Rather than marketing their adaptive range exclusively to disabled consumers, Nike showed how accessibility innovations can benefit everyone — a testament to the potential of universal design.
LILA MOSS
2021
Model Lila Moss, who lives with Type 1 diabetes, wears her insulin pump and glucose monitor on the catwalk — first debuting the medical device at the Fendi x Versace show in Milan. A declaration that said: if something’s life-saving, why should you have to hide it?
LVMH CHARTER
2021
The luxury conglomerate, LVMH, signs the Global Business and Disability Network Charter - a pledge to improve accessibility and increase the recruitment of disabled employees in their workforce.
SKIMS ADAPTIVE
2022
Kimmy K takes adaptive lingerie mainstream as SKIMS launches a collection designed around disability – with features like easy, discrete front fastenings. For a brand that built its reputation on a "Fits Everybody" philosophy (i.e. inclusive sizing and skin-tone matching shades), it was about time.
THE RISE OF ADAPTIVE MAKEUP
Beauty brands like Guide, Rare Beauty and Kohl Kreatives create innovative tools and adaptations for disabled people who want to apply makeup with greater independence. Think easy-grip makeup brushes, loop handles and fuss-free packaging.
Such brands are a testament to the ingenuity among the disabled community. They were all founded by beauty lovers who have first- or second-hand experience of how challenging makeup application can be for those with disabilities (like Parkinson’s Disease, Arthritis or sight loss).
LAUREN WASSER HITS THE CATWALK
2022
Model and activist, Lauren Wasser, made her return to the catwalk after surviving Toxic Shock Syndrome. Known as The Girl with the Golden Legs, Wasser walked for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gabriela Hearst, flashing her signature gold prosthetic legs.
BRITISH VOGUE’S "REFRAMING FASHION" ISSUE
2023
Under the tenure of former Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful, British Vogue published a landmark issue celebrating disabled talent. Featuring five disabled cover stars, including actor Selma Blair, it set the benchmark for inclusion in the media — with disability representation in front of, and behind, the camera.
JOHN SMEDLEY X INTOART
2023
The iconic British knitwear brand, John Smedley collaborates with Intoart, an arts organisation that champions artists with learning disabilities.
LONDON FASHION WEEK: MAKING FASHION ACCESSIBLE
2024
The ‘Making Fashion Accessible’ initiative transforms catwalk shows from visual events into multi-sensory experiences for the sight loss community. Pre-show touch tours, tactile fabric swatches and live audio descriptions are all part of the offering – overseen by hairstylist Anna Cofone through her non-profit, Hair & Care.
SINEAD O’DYWER
2024
Irish fashion designer, Sinéad O'Dwyer, made headlines at Copenhagen Fashion Week when she cast the broadcaster and activist Lucy Edwards for her spring/summer 2025 show. Edwards walked the catwalk in a pleated mini-skirt and tailored shirt - alongside her trusty guide dog, Miss Molly.
BOTTEGA VENTA CRAFT IS OUR LANGUAGE CAMPAIGN
2025
Bottega Veneta launched its Craft Is Our Language campaign, featuring Deaf actor Troy Kotsur alongside Julianne Moore, Zadie Smith, Lorenzo Musetti and Tyler, the Creator. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Intrecciato weave, the campaign reframed craftsmanship as a universal language expressed through the hands, recognising the power of gesture and sign language.
ADAPTIVEWEAR AT PRIMARK
2025
The collection, designed by Victoria Jenkins, brings adaptivewear to the high street. Here, practical design elements such as magnetic fastenings and sensory-conscious fabrics are integrated into everyday, accessibly-priced garments.
THE MET’S COSTUME ART EXHIBITION
2026
The 'Costume Art' exhibition - now on view at the Met, New York - showcases garments shaped by physical, sensory and cognitive difference. From Levi’s adaptive denim to Alexander McQueen’s handcarved prosthetic legs, the show counters the fashion industry's historic erasure of disability.