Be it comfort or style, people with disabilities are low on the priority list
for clothing lines or fashion designers in India. From wearing pants to
buttoning shirts, disabled people mostly have to improvise, and the final
result may not always be something to your choice or sense of well-being.
Something that bothers Anita Iyer, Founder, EKansh Trust,
the Pune-based NGO that works to promote inclusion in education and
employment, deeply. And it has led to her to launch a contest in designing
clothing for people with disabilities. The aim is to make budding designers
aware of the difficulties that people of different disability types face
while wearing clothes.
There is nothing that is being designed specifically for people with
disabilities. At EKansh, we are always looking for ways to sensitize
students about such things. There is plus-sized clothing now which
addresses different body types. There should be a trend for wheelchair
users and other disability types as well. – Anita Narayan Iyer,
Founder, EKansh Trust
The competition is pan-India and open to everyone. Each team must have five
members, of which three should be students of fashion or garment design, one
fashion designer and a mentor, who has a disability. The mentor has to give
the team a detailed insight of the specific challenges linked to his or her
disability. The disability has to be such that it causes discomfort while
dressing, so categories like deaf and hard of hearing are not included.
Each team has to submit a video of the mentor talking about the
issues faced while dressing independently and how the garment entered
addresses those challenges. Photos have to be submitted as well.
The deadline for entries is mid-July, with the finale, rather
fittingly, scheduled for Independence Day. The panel of judges will include
experts from the field of disability, textiles, a senior citizen as well as a
designer who can talk about the possibility of scaling such a design. The
winner will be called to Pune for a ramp walk.
Entries have started coming in already, says Iyer. “As of last week, three
people with disabilities have written in saying they want to take part,
including a mother with a disabled child, who says she is interested given
the hassles children face in wearing school uniforms”.
It’s an idea that has got a big thumbs up from people with disabilities.
Para sports personJustin Jesudas says this will help create
greater awareness. “This is a good initiative by Anita Iyer to target young
designers. One, they will understand the challenges that people with
disabilities face. Two, they will be able to include these designs in their
portfolios for modelling shows or designer lines. This way it will help
promote inclusion and create awareness among people without disabilities”.
Jasmina Khanna, a Mumbai-based working woman hopes the
contest will lead to some exciting designs in Indian wear.
“I can’t wear clothes like skirts, ghagras or sarees as a wheelchair
user because they tend to fly off the legs. The problem is more with Indian
clothes. When I wear a salwaar kameez I cannot take dupatta due to
less hand control. Same is the reason I don’t wear a lehenga, so I end
up missing out on formal Indian clothes”.
All valuable inputs for budding designers looking to make their mark on the
Indian fashion scene. So, what are you waiting for? This is a unique chance
to test your skills and imagination!
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21276
