“For too long communities like the one I come from have been trapped in a marginalised reality of under representation and exclusion, this has to stop. I implore every designer, agent, creative and CEO reading this to open the doors to real change. In this moment, in 2020, a year of unimaginable hardship, now is the time to act.”

“Fashion doesn’t seem to speak my language” says Julie Uddin as she explains why the fashion industry’s commitment to inclusive sizing must go further…

Last month Marks & Spencer was hailed as ground-breaking following the launch of its new adaptive clothing range for children with disabilities. The “Adapted for Easy Dressing” line includes everything from trousers and shorts with poppers (instead of zips), T-shirts with soft velcro fastenings at the back of the neck and dresses with discreet pockets for a feeding tube.

Over the past year, the fashion industry has made huge strides to becoming more inclusive, committing itself to represent a wide spectrum of genders, ethnicities and cultures. However, there is one consumer group that remains severely underrepresented- individuals with disabilities. The release of Grazia’s Big Fashion Issue this week aimed to address this exclusion.