Fashion - Progress not Perfection

The Future of Fashion Progress not perfection

BY NIKKI HIND

“… this moment was the most beautiful highlight of kindness and sisterhood - it made fashion week.” (Phoebes Garland )

Image: Nikki Hind. | Model Lisa Cox on the runway with designer Camilla at Australian Fashion Week

“While many stated that it was a heartwarming action from the designer (which is an issue in itself), both of these models shouldn’t have been put in these positions in the first place. (‘Fashion Journal’ Jasmine Wallis)”

Iwas lucky enough to be sipping mini martinis in the front row, at AfterPay Australian Fashion Week’s closing showcase, to witness what has now become a controversial moment unfold. As iconic Australian designer, Camilla Franks, dashed to model Lisa Cox’s rescue; after she got her wheels jammed in the shredded-paper flooring.

The reaction in the room was definitely one of joy, fun and triumph – from both the audience and the two at the centre of the scandal; Camilla and Lisa.

At the industry after party, Camilla and Lisa were inseparable – laughing, checking out photos and videos of ‘the moment’ and generally having a ball ! Many people were saying it was their favourite AAFW moment … myself included !

So I definitely had to stop and check myself when I was asked to comment on some of the angry backlash in the media and on social media.

I felt like I was letting ‘my team’ (the disability community) down, by not being outraged.

But I wasn’t outraged, because I saw two women conquer a staging stuff-up. I didn’t see an ability and disability failure. Let me take you back a few months, in order to bring some behind the scenes perspective to the incident.

In November 2020, AfterPay’s Luke Dean reached out to ask if he could speak with me about how they could make AfterPay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) more engaging for those with vision impairment.

Afterpay is the major sponsor for Australian Fashion Week for 2021 it was their very first year ‘strutting their stuff’, so to speak. Their intention was that inclusion be integral to AAFW, right from the outset.

I was impressed and delighted that Luke had reached out to a disability leader, someone with lived experience. I told him I would be more than happy to help make the event more engaging for the visually impaired community; however, if they were serious about disability inclusion, what they needed were disability leaders being at the decision-making tables throughout the entire process.

I offered to work with Luke and his team as an Inclusion Consultant. He took my proposal to an AfterPay management meeting the very next day; and they were immediately on board ! … But it wasn’t a done-deal yet. AfterPay had to sell the idea to the very traditional, entrenched event managers, IMG.

IMG are a national and international fixture throughout the fashion industry - they manage the majority of the most iconic Fashion Weeks all around the world – they are a powerhouse, with unmatched intergenerational experience and expertise.

A few months went by before Luke had the oppor-

tunity to run the idea of a dedicated Disability Inclusion Consultant past the Australian IMG team. I confess, I began to think that it would all fall through; that, for yet another year, genuine inclusion would fail to be a priority.

Once IMG were approached with the idea, in January 2021, they too were immediately on board and genuinely excited. Lisa Cox & myself were engaged as the first ever Disability Inclusion Consultants for Australian Fashion Week.

In this historic first year, our Inclusion Working Group only had four months of working together remotely. This, combined with the fact that, at this late stage, IMG had the majority of the event organised and locked in, meant we were always going to be limited in what we could achieve for AAFW 2021. We were primarily focusing on the consumer/guest journey.

As disability leaders, both Lisa and I are well used to being ‘the token disabled person’ in the room. Like most disability leaders, we have well honed ‘bullshit-detectors’. From the very first meeting of the Inclusion Working Group, it felt open, safe and genuinely valuing of our unique lived-experience expertise. The energy and intent were undeniable. We were all on the same page and aiming for disability inclusion that blended effortlessly; with the same elevated, desirable feel befitting any AAFW guest.

Upon arrival at the stunning venue, Carriage Works, the new inclusive elements that the Inclusion Working Group had introduced, were immediately apparent.

The moment I walked into the exquisite, ethereal world of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week’s closing showcase, my guard went down, my doubts softened and I started to melt into a magical experience that genuinely looked and felt like ‘The Future Of Fashion’. There was none of that pretentious exclusion. There was none of that scrutinising judgment around how tall you are, how much you weigh, how old you are, ‘who’ you were wearing, who you were ‘with’, how much you earn and whether you were one of ‘The Beautiful People’. These things alone are such ugly, passive aggressive barriers to inclusion.

I was sitting front and centre for the spectacular closing showcase, and I was genuinely delighted – which I definitely did not anticipate ! There was organic, aspirational diversity woven all the way through the runway show itself. I saw models of different heights, size, culture, ability/disability, age and sexuality.

To address what has now become the elephant in the Inclusive Room - Indeed, I knew straight away that Lisa would get her wheels stuck in the divine, soft, magical flooring.

It was, of course, obvious to me the moment I saw it, that the beautiful flooring was not wheelchair friendly.

I come from a background of both fashion and corporate event management. So, like Lisa, I am very used to the inevitable stuff-ups and all the incredible behind the scenes work that goes into such a massive event.

I believe this was a very human mistake and the events that followed delighted the crowd and frankly provided a beautiful social and corporate learning experience.

I was disappointed that the criticism around the flooring overshadowed the groundbreaking steps taken by AAFW. To the best of my knowledge, AfterPay and IMG have created global fashion history this year, by engaging disability consultants to join the decision making table - and that’s worth talking about, celebrating and encouraging.

We don’t need things to be ‘perfect’ for us. We are very capable professionals, who can deal with all measure of very human mistakes.

Conversations won’t be had, mistakes won’t be made and progress won’t occur, if we are not able to accept and celebrate the imperfect steps along the way.

There were definitely some very important messages coming from leaders within the disability community. No matter where you sit on the ‘Sisterhood or Sham’ scale, there is no doubt that AAFW 2021 has started the crucial examination and evaluation of disability inclusion.

We can of course do better, and we will. I can’t wait to see what we all achieve together next year … and the year after that, and the year after that, and the year after that … There’s no turning back now ! “What fashion week shows us about how we approach inclusion in Australian fashion, by Jasmine Wallis Disabled Creator and Activist”

Keely B | Fashion Journal Article instagram.com/k__eelz/

“It isn’t inclusive if it isn’t accessible for disabled people. I don’t want to see disabled people struggle to use their mobility aids, that isn’t representation of disabled people. The Australian fashion industry has so much money behind them, but it feels like the inclusion of disabled people is just a second thought. They keep making attempts but continuously keep missing the mark. If they can’t even make a runway accessible, it’s scary to think about the wider inclusion in this industry. It really just shows that there isn’t any.”

Model and Disability Activist Jason Clymo:

“From experiencing the industry as a whole, if there’s not someone who’s asking or not someone who knows better behind the scenes… this stuff happens. That’s why the whole industry needs a shakeup in terms of their inclusion. Where are the creative directors that are people with a disability? Where are our disabled designers? Where’s our event managers that are disabled? And people who actually know better because they have lived experience.” Photo of Nikki, Lisa and Camilla at the AAFW After Party - photo by Rebecca Randall Film and Photography

LISA COX (INSIDE RETAIL MAGAZINE)

“My disappointment is not at IMG or the event itself. Rather, I was saddened by the commentary and negative coverage that followed. Essentially, assumptions were made about how I felt and that I

must have been angered or enraged. I was neither. While there’s no doubt the build-up of paper was a mistake, I would hate for this to overshadow all of the other excellent work that was done in the minutes and months prior to the event.

I’ve chosen to maintain perspective about the mistake. Yes it happened but there is something much bigger that happened this year which deserves our attention. The inclusion of disability in AAFW 2021 was a long overdue first for the Australian fashion industry and something that should be celebrated.

Assumptions were also made that I (a disabled model) was not consulted before the runway show, when in fact I had been consulted on multiple occasions. Yes, the mistake still happened but I’m not bothered by it. I moved on and urge everyone else to focus on what a positive this is for inclusivity. Sure, getting my wheels stuck amongst the paper decorations on stage wasn’t ideal, but these little things happen and it didn’t tarnish the incredible show. If anything, ticket-holders got a bonus when designer Camilla Franks herself ran onto the runway to rescue me! I have been the tokenistic disabled model in runway shows before – ticking the diversity box – and this was certainly not the case at the finale. … In the strangest of ways, I think this mistake became quite a beautiful moment that exemplifies a possible direction for the future of Australia’s fashion industry.”

Photo of Nikki, Lisa and Camilla at the AAFW After Party - photo by Rebecca Randall Film and Photography Photo of Nikki and Luke Dean - photo by Rebecca Randall Film and Photography

LUKE DEAN

“Take note leaders - diversity is no longer a buzz word it’s a necessity and it’s today. Not considering inclusion from the beginning of a project is the only mistake we can make! Missteps or wheel jams will be inevitable but that’s ok! A huge thank you to Nikki Hind and Lisa Cox for sharing your very personal experiences, thought leadership, humour and talent to our #AAFW working group for 2021.”

About the Writer

Nikki Hind, WB40’s Fashion Editor is the founder of fashion label Blind Grit, and is an Inclusion and Diversity Media Adviser, with a passion for inclusion in fashion. Nikki is Australia’s first blind fashion designer, and has a background in PR, communications and event management. www.blindgrit.com