One in five Australians live with a disability, so it’s no wonder a Melbourne-based fashion brand offering inclusive clothing is on the rise.
The brand was founded by two occupational therapists who noticed a big gap in the industry and now, the JAM label is about to start work on a seasonal range to show later in the year.
Their clients include 27-year-old NDIS worker and part-time comedian Oliver Hunter, who lives with cerebral palsy (CP).
Oliver Hunter, NDIS worker and part-time stand-up comedian. (9 News)
“I bill myself as the guy we have when we can’t afford Dylan Alcott,” he said.
Hunter has also had trouble finding functional clothing.
“With my CP, I could never button a shirt with buttons, so my mom tailored the shirt herself,” he said.
Emma Clegg and Molly Rogers created their adaptable fashion range after working with two teenagers who used wheelchairs.
These customers craved not just independence but style.
So JAM uses magnetic buttons and zips to provide a solution and every item in the range is priced under $100.
Emma Clegg and Molly Rogers created their adaptable fashion range after working with two teenagers who used wheelchairs. (9 News)
“Anything that was easier to dress up in was really shy and not appropriate for their age as teenagers,” she said.
The Aussie brand’s online collection caters to people with a wide range of disabilities, from the intellectual and autistic to the visually impaired and anyone who uses a wheelchair.
“They have easy access and allow extra room for the discretion of continence aids,” Rogers said.
For those with sensory issues, there are no seams, no irritating labels and the logo is printed on the sleeve.
“For wheelchair users, often the front is covered by bibs or straps or supports,” Clegg explained.
“They want to show their JAM [label] so we’ll put that on our sleeve too.”
Clegg and Rogers’ dream is that one day all designers will have a fashion range that is both functional and attractive to all their customers. (9News) Getting the word out about disability expos has helped expand the brand, but there was a peak in Sydney earlier this year.
“We didn’t think in the lead up to how important it was that it was the first adaptive runway of Australian fashion week and how that representation and thinking is felt by the disability community,” Clegg said.
Hunter said she loves the clothes because they look fashionable.
“You can put them on and no one would know you’re wearing adaptive, disability-friendly clothing,” she said.
“Once you cater to the minority, you cater to the majority.”
Clegg and Rogers’ dream is that one day all designers will have a fashion range that is both functional and attractive to all their customers.
“We would like to think that this way of designing and these considerations would become standard practice for fashion brands,” said Rogers.