Meet Andi!

For my Patternmaking III class we were teamed up into two groups and were given a client who uses a wheelchair and were tasked in making an outfit that caters to their needs. The purpose of this project was to consider things that we as non-wheelchair users don’t usually consider in our day to day life as well as learning the correct vocabulary needed when considering adaptable design.

Andi is a wheel chair user who loves boho designs and wanted something that was feminine but also comfortable and easy to get on and off. Me and fashion major Joe Kline had the wonderful task of getting to know this person and had an amazing experience designing for her.

Initial Sketches

When designing, we knew that Andi had mobility issues specifically with buttons and small zippers. Me and Joe knew that we wanted to have a design that included garment magnets, in order to prioritize ease of access. These are the three designs that we sort of Frankenstein’ed together after meeting up with Andi.

Final Illustration

*

Final Illustration *

The final design we ended up with was this flowy top that features flowy sleeves as well as a peplum along the hem of the top. It has the magnet closure that I spoke about earlier. The shorts are loose and flowy as well as having an elastic waistband to be able to easily move up or down.

Andi mentioned wanting a romper, but didn’t like that whenever she wore one she had to get fully naked in the bathroom. Our idea was to create a sort of faux romper so that she can achieve that look while not sacrificing convenience. The fact that it is two different pieces also allows for the opportunity to mix and match the pieces as well