Why Isn't Fashion Inclusive Of Disabled People?
Chloe Ball-Hopkins |
TEDxBristol
• November 2019
There are almost 14 million disabled people in the UK, but the fashion industry mainly ignores them. As a result, businesses are losing a potential two billion pounds per month in ‘purple pound’ revenue, and high street shops are forfeiting £267 million.
Chloe Ball-Hopkins is a wheelchair user on a mission to find out why such a large sector of society is still invisible to retailers.
In July 2018 she pioneered a collaboration with ASOS, the brand that supply kit for Great Britain's Paralympians, to create a jumpsuit which met her need for comfortable, practical and fashionable active-wear. The campaign took the fashion and media world by storm… with Vogue, Grazia, Elle and New York Magazine taking up the story.
But a year on nothing more has been done.
Chloe’s TEDx talk explores why the fashion industry is dragging its heels, and reboots the mission to create accessible, fashionable clothes for all. Chloe Ball-Hopkins is a freelance journalist, archery champion and wheelchair user from Gloucestershire, UK. She was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis which led to numerous operations on her legs. At four years old she was diagnosed with a form of Muscular Dystrophy which means she has weaker muscles.
This hasn’t stopped her taking on a variety of big challenges - from competing in the Para European Championships and winning the Bronze medal as an archer to most recently taking on the fashion industry!
Credits:
Our talks and films are produced, filmed and edited by a brilliant team of talented volunteers and pro-bono partners:
Directed and Produced by Mel Rodrigues, Creative Director TEDxBristol
Production Manager: Clare Crossley
Filmed and edited by Floating Harbour:
Richard da Costa
Reuben Gaines
Chessie Sharman
Raph Watson
Tom Young
Ben Scrase
Dan O'Connell