It’s time for London Fashion Week to ramp up on diversity and accessibility
London Fashion Week (LFW) drew to a close on Tuesday following a week of catwalk fashionistas displaying the latest designs that will inevitably hit the high street in one form or another in the near future. However, for the approximate 10.8million people living with disabilities in Britain, the catwalk was once again hard to relate to.
Many expected LFW to follow New York Fashion Week’s lead, with the American fashion focal point causing a stir when it promoted diversity in using differently able models as part of their exhibitions and created designs that could be transferred to a wheelchair. The move in the US clearly shows that the fashion industry is becoming more accessible, but it’s now time for British designers to move with the times.
The British Polio Fellowship have long been one of the front runners when it comes to accessibility campaigning. As CEO of the charity, I was proud last year when we created the first ever dress (to our knowledge) that was made to fully incorporate the wheelchair for our ambassador and Paralympian Anne Wafula-Strike MBE and we continue to campaign for diversity in the fashion industry.
Many of our members experience challenges with accessibility issues as the result of the late effects of Polio and Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) and we know the importance of a diverse and accessible Britain. For more information on The British Polio Fellowship visit www.britishpolio.org.uk