About Me
Hey! I'm Gemma, a Fashion Knitwear Design Graduate from NTU.
Gemma's personal experience of having a disability has directly infulenced and inspired her collection. Using fashion to spread awarness of disability in design she has shown that adapted fashion can be colourful and fun aswell as functional.
"Everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves through fashion. Adapted fashion is so functional and boring, I wanted to make an exciting colourful collection that shows the potential within adapted fashion," she explained, "I want to spread awarness of the inequalities in the fashion industry and encourage a new way of designing. Considered design."
INSPIRATION
Adapted fashion meets the vibrant Bermudaful colours and textures.
My final year project is inspired by my passions of inclusivity in fashion, tactile fabrics and vibrant colours. I wanted to impliment the adaptions discovered in my research for both the obviously physically disabled and people with hidden disabilities. This selection of abilities is catered to in more of a broad sense with specifics like seated garment design shows how brands can add adapted or inclusive lines that could be for everyone - not just for people with physical disabilities.
With a background in textiles I have always loved colour, texture and tactility. Knitwear has given me a platform to express my creative love of texture alongside the functional adaptions for disability that the fashion industry needs. Bermuda is a vibrant colourful place that has visually inspired this project. The movement of the water contrasting with the bright blocks of colour from the houses is a small part of the visual versitility of Bermuda. My knitting reflects how I see Bermuda.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Concept Board - Bermudaful Adaptions
Wheelchair Markmaking - Proportion
Knitting Water
Waves
Drape
Intarsia Proportion
Intarsia
DETAIL
Adaption Considerations
When designing and making adapted clothing there are certain considerations that need exploring. Through my research some key considerations I have discovered come into main catagories. 1) Seated Design 2) Fastenings 3) General Adaptions. When designing seated design think about comfort: No seams on the bottom or back of garments that may cause discomfort, higher backs to trousers/ bottoms, no excess fabric on tops, skorts and lined skirts/dresses for dignity, consider adjustabe lengths. Fastenings: No buttons or small clasps that are fiddly, zips can be okay for some adjustments. Poppers, magnets and velcro are much better for adaptions as they are easy to open and can be used with buttons as fake openings. Other adaption considerations when designing adapted garments are things like: A varety of ways to wear an item, adjustable lengths, removable parts, extra flexibility and comfort. Through my project I have explored the key considerations and used them to create functional adapted garments.
"I want to say this is me despite my disabilities. I am a normal person and want to wear the same clothes as everyone else."
Graduate Fashion Week in partnership with:
