Fashion For Every Body
Design for disability
Celebrating inclusion, innovation, accessibility, and fashion.
FASHION FOR EVERYONE
Our inaugural show was the culmination of a five-month competition with students from the Fashion Institute of Technology to design clothing to transform the fashion experience for women with disabilities.
design for disability shows
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Thom Browne
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Derek Lam
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Anna Sui
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Barbara Baekgaard
D4D X DEREK LAM
CPF partnered with Derek Lam and six young designers from Parsons, Pratt and FIT to create six amazing collections of accessible outfits
D4D X ANNA SUI
In 2018, CPF held its third Annual Design for Disability Gala, which showcases new fashions for people with disabilities. Outfits, which feature innovations in fit, closures, and form, are designed by students from F.I.T., Pratt and Parsons, with insights from CPF’s disability experts and well as with mentorship from a legendary fashion designer. This year’s mentor was Anna Sui, who will soon have a show at NY’s Museum of Art and Design.
Said Anna, “When I think of fashion, I think of expression: really showing what you have on the inside on the outside. Working with the students, and model mentors with disabilities to make this happen was a joyful experience. I am so thrilled to have been part of this project – and to see the extraordinary work and how well it was received.”
The evening was attended by not only Ms. Sui, but also last year’s mentor, Derek Lam as well as Norma Kamali and Alexander Wang. Other attendees included Sofia Coppola, Hanne Gaby, Odiele. Zhengyang Zhang, Cristina Piccone, Jillian Mercado, Sophia Macks, Marc Karimzadeh, Loreen Arbus, director Sam Gold and producer Peter Saraf. Celebrities from the world of disabilities included Micah Fowler, Zach Anner, and Dan Keplinger, and Madison Ferris.
The fashions were remarkable: gorgeous in design as well as the way they incorporated dozens of innovations which made them easier to be worn by people with disabilities.
The gala honoree was Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, founder of Vera Bradley. Barbara’s brother, whose late brother Jamie, had cerebral palsy. Barbara was given the foundation’s Visionary Leadership award and recognized for her incredible accomplishments and spirit: not only for her optimism, but her ability to share it with others and bring change and opportunity to so many.
The gala was attended by over 400 people and raised close to one million dollars.
D4D X BARBARA BAEKGAARD
This year we have seen our work lower the age of detection of cerebral palsy in multiple medical institutions across the U.S., evolve the way inclusion is implemented in schools, and transform healthcare for women with disabilities.
This event is particularly exciting as we showcase a new collaboration between Baekgaard USA, the FIT Master of Fine Arts Program and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Under the mentorship of Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, Hélène Kaufman and Jonathan Kyle Farmer, three students in the FIT Master of Fine Arts Program have designed a line of beautiful, accessible accessories – bags, wallets, and other innovative items – universally designed to empower all of us.