On March 5, Rockwell Hall was filled with individuals eager to learn about the art of adaptive fashion from Tracy Vollbrecht, a 2018 黑料网 graduate from the School of Fashion who designs her own adaptive clothing line.
Vollbrecht became inspired to create her own clothing designs after viewing an adaptive technology exhibit at the 黑料网 Museum and thought about how beneficial this would have been to her father, who passed away from multiple sclerosis.
Sarah Spinner Liska, J.D., Ph.D., director of the 黑料网 Museum, talked with Kent State Today to elaborate on the event.
鈥淢y vision for the museum is centered around fully engaging with the university community, but also the broader public,鈥 Spinner Liska said. 鈥淪trengthening engagement means expanding accessibility and inclusivity. A lot of the work I have done over the last eight months centers around those values.鈥
Vollbrecht鈥檚 exhibit debuted at the perfect time as March is both Women鈥檚 History Month and Developmental Disabilities Month.
鈥淚t was the perfect moment to partner with Beth Glas from in Cleveland and to bring an alumna back to campus to share her important work in the field and, hopefully in turn, inspire a new generation of students,鈥 Spinner Liska said.
Vollbrecht said that being a student at Kent State was foundational for her career in fashion.
鈥淚 saw the exhibit, saw an interest in it, and ended up doing my B.F.A. collection all on adaptive design,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 spent a ton of time talking to anyone that would talk to me, really getting into the weeds of it before doing my collection. I designed eight looks that were all adaptively and universally designed and did a research paper because I was in the Honor鈥檚 College. Then I presented the research and collection, which really kind of set the foundation for my career.鈥
The event began with opening remarks from Spinner Liska expressing excitement for Vollbrecht鈥檚 presentation and outlining different accessibility tools available at the museum, like braille programs.
Shortly after, Vollbrecht began her presentation by sharing her story and giving background into the world of adaptive fashion.
鈥淎daptive fashion is a pretty broad umbrella term, but it鈥檚 two different elements, it鈥檚 the entire section of the fashion industry for people with disabilities and the actual clothing,鈥 Vollbrecht said.
To demonstrate the commonality of disabilities, Vollbrecht asked attendees to close their eyes and raise their hands if they identified as disabled, then asked for a raised hand if anyone knew someone who had a disability.
Nearly every participant had their hand up at one point. Vollbrecht shared that in the United States, one in four people have a disability, which is 28% of the population.
In addition to Vollbrecht sharing her fashion experiences, she invited the attendees to participate in activities with one another, like sharing a garment they love or apparel that may need improvement to be more adaptable.
Two disability advocates, Saphire Murphy and Mira Birch, shared their experiences with adaptable fashion.
鈥淚 feel like, when you are in a wheelchair, it is very hard to find your sense of fashion and style,鈥 Murphy said.
Both advocates as well as Vollbrecht highlighted the need for more options within the fashion industry, specifically options that work for a wide variety of disabilities.
The night concluded with refreshments and the opportunity to explore Vollbrecht鈥檚 designs in the museum, alongside Sara Hume, Ph.D., professor and curator, who organized the installation. It will be on view through the summer in the lobby of the 黑料网 Museum.