Many of us don’t have to worry all that much about what to wear. We are not
talking about colours and design, but about actually having to button a
shirt, or tie that pyjama drawstring. For people with disabilities, though,
these are real, everyday issues and challenges that many mainstream fashion
brands in India are not paying attention to.
So, it is good to see that there are some new players who are making an
effort to reflect and reach out to customers with disabilities. Latest on the
scene is Orofit, a custom clothing company for men that
eventually plans to include women and children.
Orofit, which is based in Mumbai, goes the extra mile by going to the homes
of clients to take measurements. This is a boon for people who are wheelchair
users or live outside Mumbai. The service is called Stylist At Home, and an
appointment is booked with a client at a convenient location, with the
stylist following up with a visit along with a collection of fabric swatches
for selection and approval.
Among their clients is para swimming champion Mohammed Shams Alam
Shaikh. “Getting custom fit clothes for people who use wheelchairs
is quite difficult and I have often struggled to find the right fit,
especially in formal wear,” says Shaikh. “The Orofit team designed a
shirt and pant for me and they came to my home to take the measurements,
which is co convenient.”
Orofit founder Dilip Jain says he aims to reach out to
people who have distinct needs while dressing up, regardless of whether or
not they are disabled.
We cater to people who need custom fit clothes or have distinct needs while
dressing up. We never targeted disabled customers but everyone is welcome
to experience the bespoke service at their doorstep. We started Orofit
because we got tired of wearing ill-fitting clothes and paying luxury
prices for luxury quality. So we obsessively re-engineered menswear to make
each garment one at a time, guaranteeing fit and eliminating unnecessary
mark-ups. – Dilip Jain, Founder, Orofit Custom Clothing
Co.
It’s a service that is a godsend, especially for a disabled person who
often has to negotiate inaccessible malls or stores to find the right fit.
And then there are the hassles of managing buttons and zippers.
For C H Abhijith, a student in , who has
cerebral palsy, managing the buttons and hooks in conventionally made pants
and shirts is a struggle. A Google search led him to Suvastra
Designs.
This accessible fashion wear brand, which targets men and women, was founded
by Chennai-based Shalini Visakan. Shalini wanted to make
travel easier for businessman husband Visakan, who uses a
wheelchair and this was the trigger for the brand.
“We go to people’s homes in Chennai and based upon their needs, we design
clothes for them, be it sarees or men’s wear,” says Co-founder,
Suvastra Designs Visakan Rajendiran. “When it comes to clients
outside Chennai, we tell them to send us a video describing exactly what they
need as well as the difficulties they face. If they have a sample of
something they wear that fits them right, we ask them to courier that as
well. We design based on their inputs.”
Suvastra has 20 people with disabilities as their clients, many of them in
cities like Trichy, Pune and Chandigarh. Abhijit plans to become a regular.
“I ordered two pants from Suvastra and they are comfortable and easy to
wear. All I did was send pictures of myself on WhatsApp along with my
measurements and they couriered them to me,” he says. “I do not have to
struggle with buttons any more. All I do is pull on the pants. I will surely
order again.”
Internationally, top fashion brands like Tommy Hilfiger and
Nike, to name a few, are finally taking into account the needs
of people with disabilities. Time that brands in India see the business
potential in this segment as well so that people with disabilities don’t
have to improvise when it comes to choosing what to wear.
ALSO READ: Some
tips for how to dress your best in a wheelchair
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21023
