Although the segment wasn't without its problems, I loved last year's show in which the contestests designed an outfit for a fellow contestant's family member. I know the contestants weren't thrilled (ahem...) about designing for someone other than a fashion model, but I loved that the producers prodded both designers and audience members to consider exactly what fashion is and who it is for on a broader canvas than what is traditionally considered the fashion world.
Well, I've recently developed a mobility problem which I hope is temporary but which may not be. This morning, when I was looking online to familiarize myself with current available assistive living devices, I found ASSIST IRELAND. As I was digging around on the site, I discovered their terrifically useful information pages. The one called "Clothing Ideas for Wheelchair Users" (here)
If the folks who create the project ideas for Fashion Runway look at the web page cited and then take into account the following statistics, I think they would see the relavence/usefulness of a show in which the designers are asked to design for a disabled person:
*In 2005, the percentage of working age individuals reporting a disability was 12.6 percent in the US.
*In 2005, the median annual labor earnings of working age people with disabilities working full-time/full-year was $30,000 in the US.
*[I]n the US, among the six types of disabilities ... the highest prevalence rate was for people with ?Physical disabilities,? 7.8 percent.
*In 2005, 51.6 percent of working age people with disabilities were women in the US.
*In 2005, 10.9 percent of working age people with disabilities were ages 21-29 in the US.
[Source: "2005 Disability Status Reports
United States." StatsRRTC, Cornell University. Online.
Think what an emotional boost it could be for many disabled people to see at least a handful of talented designers consider not only their physical needs but their fashion sense needs as well.
Anybody out there listening????
©2006
