I guess my love of fashion has opened my mind to see an inclusive and diverse sense of what fashion is and how it can be a way to show our personal identity, who we are and who we want to show to the world.
Fashion inclusivity to me is being open to all ideas of fashion regardless of age, gender identity and ability.
From a young age, fashion for me was a fun way of self-expression, to be creative and have fun and with that I was able to meet and share that passion with a diverse range of people.
Back in the day I used to both shop and have a stall at the Surry Hills pre-loved markets. It is here that I met Dani who described himself as a 6ft 5inch Lebanese drag queen in a kaftan. Dani had a market stall and like me had a love of all things vintage and retro fashion, shoes and accessories.
Many an hour was spent together discussing frocks and styles and cuts that worked for perfection! Whilst we shared many commonalities, we were also quite different – I am petite and he is tall and towered over me! We both had styling challenges – mine because I was short and him because he was lanky and long legged. He could rock a kaftan, whilst I looked better in a small waisted 50’s frock. These moments together opened my eyes that fashion was a love that we shared, and that fashion was indeed inclusive and diverse.
Whether you are drag, someone who is transitioning male to female, female to male, gender fluid, LGBTQUIA+ fashion should be inclusive and Dressabilty is about inclusivity. How you express yourself and how you identify is something that is different for everyone and at Dressability we understand this.
At Australian Fashion Week AAFW 2023 the model Kai Clancy, was the first ever transgender male model to walk in AAFW, and on a panel discussion they talked about “Identity and Agency:” Gender Diversity and the Fashion Industry’. The panel discussed the need for establishing safe spaces and platforms for trans and gender diverse professionals within the industry.
The first day of AAFW saw a crowd gather—to watch designer Jackie Wu of Wackie Ju, model and Vogue Australia cover star Manahou Mackay, and model Kai Clancy, the first ever transgender male model to walk in AAFW, come together to speak on ‘Identity & Agency: Gender Diversity and the Fashion Industry’. “I utilise fashion as a medium to articulate my identity, my intersectionality within being a trans migrant,” said Wu. “As a fashion designer, I want to remind everyone that clothes are made for people. “I utilise fashion as a medium to articulate my identity, my intersectionality within being a trans migrant,” said Wu.
Wu closed the conversation by highlighting their hopes for the future of gender inclusion in fashion. Wu said, “I think the first thing to change is to break up the mindset that there’s only binary clothing, and anyone can wear whatever they want to wear.” Wu also expressed their hopes for the future of gender inclusion in fashion.
At Dressability I feel it’s an exciting time like riding a wave that has only just began. I’m hoping the future in fashion is a more inclusive space where you can wear and feel comfortable in your styling choices. With fashion being more gender fluid, age-inclusive, plus-size models, culturally diverse there hopefully will be more choices to buy outfits that reflect this. When I take my clients styling, I guide them and support them in making fashion choices that express who they are.