Izzy Camilleri
Photo Courtesy : Izzy Camilleri
IZ Adaptive solves clothing conundrums for people with disabilities
Izzy Camilleri has been in the fashion industry since graduating fashion college in 1984 ; working in high fashion , collections , and making custom wardrobes for the film industry . Now she focuses solely on adaptive clothing .
It began in 2005 , when a Toronto journalist , who used a wheelchair , asked her fashion editor to recommend someone to make her a shearling cape . The editor thought of Izzy , knowing she worked in leather so would know shearling — leather with wool on the inside . Izzy recalls , “ It was the first time I worked with someone in a wheelchair . This journalist was paralyzed from her neck down , she couldn ' t move anything . It was a very eye-opening experience . I learned about her challenges , things I had never thought about before , because I had to get it right .”
Having never considered what it took for a wheelchair user to get dressed , or their limitations as to what they could and couldn ’ t wear , Izzy learned through this collaboration . After success with the shearling cape , the journalist pointed out the challenges that pants presented her . Izzy says , “ I realized if she had all these clothing issues , a lot of other people did too . That led me to create the adaptive line , IZ Adaptive .”
By this time , Izzy was a wellrespected Canadian designer , featured in magazines and
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