Osaka association holds runway show for wheelchair users in Paris

By Ayaka Kaji / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:52 JST, September 28, 2022

PARIS — A runway show featuring clothing for wheelchair users was held by an Osaka-based fashion association for people with disabilities on Tuesday in Paris, where the Paris Fashion Week is currently taking place.

The clothes displayed during the show by the Japan Persons with Disabilities Fashion Association are designed for wheelchair users to be able to pull them on and off with ease. The association members are working hard to promote the outfits, and they raised funds through crowdfunding and other means to hold the show at the Maison de la Culture du Japon a Paris.

The show featured 10 models, including wheelchair-using runway model Yuki Nakamura. The clothes featured in the show included a delicate mauve dress made from Kyo-yuzen fabric, produced with traditional dyeing methods, and a jacket made from traditional Nishijin-ori textiles.

The association was founded in 2019 to realize a society in which people can enjoy fashion regardless of whether they are disabled or not. The clothing created by Kei Hirabayashi, 45, the representative of the association, and others includes a wrap skirt that can be put on and taken off while the individual is seated on a wheelchair and a short-length jacket, the back of which is less likely to be wrinkled.

“Now that we’ve done a show in Paris, I have a feeling that the door has opened for a new era in which everyone can enjoy fashion,” Hirabayashi said.