Size, ability and appearance all factor into a person’s choice in clothing. What happens when the sizes are fixed, the fasteners are too complicated, and the buttonholes are impossibly small? What happens when the clothes we are meant to feel confident in make us feel like hiding? On this episode of Inclusion Revolution Radio, we’re meeting social activism leaders in fashion, designing and curating confidence, one look at a time.
Special Olympics Alaska athlete Sulynnette Vega-Ledesma was born in the tropics of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, before trading her beach attire for ski gear. With her trendy sense of style, she is more than her appearance; she is an unstoppable athlete, a former U.S. Army JROTC cadet and an aspiring fashion designer. Through her classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the College of Arts and Sciences, Sulynnette learned to create her own patterns and materialize her designs.
A fashion activist and entrepreneur, Shareena Emambocus is a plus-size fashion model and co-founder of Urban Finds, a fashion marketplace for inclusive and accessible clothing. Her social media is a platform for identity and representation, embodying the mentorship she craved growing up. Proud to think outside of the sample-size mold, Shareena is channeling her creativity and voice in a way that is all her own.
One of the United Kingdom’s leading adaptive fashion experts and designers, Victoria Jenkins is the founder and CEO of Unhidden, an award-winning adaptive and universally designed fashion brand. A disability advocate, Victoria was recognized by Vogue in its 25 most influential Powerhouse Women and named the second most influential disabled person in the United Kingdom by the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list. Her expertise and ferocity for change are evident in her clothing, which was designed through the lens of her own disability journey.
You’re in pajamas, you’re in workout clothes, you’re in a wedding dress: come as you are to tune in to this episode!