Misty Glam, Kush Atelier launch adaptive fashion initiative for people with disabilities

Misty Glam Company, a disability-inclusive talent management and advocacy organisation, has partnered with sustainable fashion brand Kush Atelier to launch IncluNorm Fashion, an initiative aimed at promoting accessible and adaptive clothing for people with disabilities across Africa.

The initiative, described by its founders as Africa’s first adaptive fashion initiative, seeks to address clothing challenges faced by wheelchair users, amputees, people with limb differences and individuals with limited hand mobility.

IncluNorm Fashion combines disability advocacy with sustainable African fashion to create clothing designed to make dressing easier while maintaining comfort, dignity, confidence and personal style.

Founder and Creative Director of Misty Glam Company, Misturah Abisola Owolabi, said the initiative was inspired by the experiences of models with disabilities who often required assistance getting dressed during photoshoots.

“We often say disability inclusion should be part of everything we do, yet one of humanity’s oldest forms of self-expression has remained inaccessible for millions of people,” Owolabi said.

She explained that the experiences of the models made the team recognise that many of the difficulties people with disabilities encounter when dressing are linked to the way clothes are designed.

According to her, “The problem wasn’t simply mobility. The problem was that clothing had never been intentionally designed with them in mind.”

Founder and Creative Director of Kush Atelier, Kusoro Samson Babatunde, said the design philosophy behind the initiative was centred on ensuring that clothing responds to the needs of the wearer.

“People should not have to adapt to clothing. Clothing should adapt to people,” Babatunde said.

He explained that the garments would incorporate features such as side-opening trousers with discreet Velcro fastenings, back-opening shirts with accessible closures, strategically positioned pockets for people who dress while seated, and free-size silhouettes designed to accommodate different body types and mobility needs.

Babatunde added that the initiative would work with people with disabilities during the design and development process to ensure the garments respond to their practical needs.

Rather than producing clothing that looks medical or different, the initiative aims to combine adaptive features with contemporary fashion and African design aesthetics.

Sustainability is also a key component of the project, with IncluNorm Fashion adopting a circular approach that uses donated African fabric offcuts, surplus textiles, end-of-roll fabrics and unused trims to produce adaptive garments.

“We believe inclusion and sustainability should go hand in hand,” Babatunde said. “Every donated fabric carries the possibility of becoming someone’s favourite outfit.”

Unlike conventional fashion businesses, IncluNorm Fashion plans to operate as a social impact initiative, partnering with disability organisations, NGOs, foundations, corporations and individual donors to sponsor adaptive outfits that will be distributed free of charge to people with disabilities.

The initiative also plans to work with hospitals, rehabilitation centres and community organisations to identify beneficiaries and expand access to adaptive clothing.

Its long-term plans include the development of adaptive school uniforms, corporate wear, occasion outfits and runway collections, as well as educational workshops and collaborations with designers across Africa.

The founders are also calling on fashion designers, textile manufacturers, fashion houses and fabric merchants to contribute surplus materials that can be repurposed into adaptive garments.

Misty Glam Company, founded by Owolabi, focuses on inclusive talent management and disability advocacy, representing models with disabilities, visible differences and diverse identities.

Kush Atelier, founded by Babatunde, is a sustainable fashion brand focused on contemporary designs rooted in African craftsmanship and environmentally responsible production.

Through IncluNorm Fashion, both organisations say they hope to contribute to a more inclusive African fashion industry where accessibility becomes a standard part of clothing design rather than an afterthought.