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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Photo by Allwyn Mendes on Unsplash