The WVU chapter of the Runway of Dreams Foundation showcased adaptive apparel for people with disabilities during its first-ever fashion show in the Mountainlair Ballroom Thursday. 

Last year, WVU’s annual Fashion, Dress and Merchandising fashion show featured five Runway of Dream models who wore adaptive clothing. 

This year, the organization hosted its own exclusive show with 15 models wearing adaptive clothing, showcasing brands like Zappos, One Leg Up, Spoonie Threads, Seven7 Jeans, Joe and Bella and BILLY Footwear. 

Cassandra Stewart, president of WVU Runway of Dreams, said adaptive clothing falls on a “spectrum.”

“On one side of the spectrum, you have things for sensory, so like tagless, seamless, diabetic socks. You’re thinking of people who may have different stomach issues and things so maybe they can’t have pressure on their stomach like waistbands, those kinds of things. And then on the other side of the spectrum, you have more mobility focus, so for people who wear [ankle-foot orthoses],” she said. 

Many of the adaptive pieces that models wore featured easy-open buttons and zippers. 

“One of our models is wearing a t-shirt that has magnetic closures at the shoulder seam to open it so that it can not only go over the head easier, but it would be easier to get dressed through sleeves,” Stewart said. 

The show was designed to be accessible for both models and audience members. 

Aaron Giorgi, assistant professor in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, introduced the models during the show and gave a physical description of each for audience members who are blind or have visual impairments.

Models traveled from different parts of West Virginia to walk in the ROD show, and models ranged from 2 years old to 45 years old. 

Lindsey Elliott, a Morgantown resident, accompanied her daughter Lily on the runway. Her daughter was the youngest model in the show and wore pieces from BILLY Footwear, One Leg Up and Spoonie Threads. 

“It was amazing because we were actually looking for a pair of BILLY shoes for her to wear with her [ankle-foot orthoses], so they provided these for us. And it was so nice meeting all the other models and being a part of this,” Lindsey Elliott said. 

Four of the models are pageant queens from the West Virginia Miss Amazing organization for women and girls with disabilities. 

Carrie Davis, the 2023 and 2024 Mentor Queen of Miss Amazing, said that the Miss Amazing queens “take pride in their ability and identity.” 

“Just because we have a disability, don’t count us out because we’re going places,” Davis said. “We have a disability, the disability doesn’t have us.”

10 of the models were given adaptive apparel provided by the brands for the show for free, while WVU Runway of Dreams raised money to pay for the outfits of the remaining five so that all 15 could keep their adaptive clothing for free. 

“For us going from five to 15 is just so uplifting and so empowering and so emotionally overwhelming just knowing that we got to provide 15 more people with outfits,” Stewart said. 

WVU ROD encourages people to donate to its GoFundMe for future shows, outreach opportunities and projects.

Updates on WVU ROD events and meetings can be found on its Instagram @runwayofdreamwvu.

“The future of fashion is adaptive, inclusive, and this is just the beginning,” Stewart said.