EveryWear
(Formerly Wearable Kouture, briefly AS YOU ARE, and Modemond)
EveryWear is an apparel experience that embraces more inclusive elements to make clothing meet the symbolic and functional needs of those that fall outside of the bell curve “norms” that have historically dictated garment construction. The reality is that many of us do, or will, face disability and/or limitations in our lifetime, which will then, in turn, influence our apparel consumption. Right now, options force concessions. You just can’t have it all: function, style, affordability, and a website that allows you to shop online and not feel marginalized. Thus, EveryWear also aims to create not only novel products, but an e-commerce marketplace that is inclusive and welcoming to the diversity and spectrum of health and disability experienced by just about everyone.
We firmly acknowledge and believe in three core concepts:
image very much does matter,
the experience of clothing starts long before getting dressed and,
body diversity as the norm.
Recent Events
startup@brown
workshop on student resources, bottom-up research & early pitfalls
Saturday September 29th 2018
Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship venture showcase
Breakthrough lab cohort pitch night
Thursday September 20th 2018
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Inclusive Design Panel
Beyond Accessibility & Across Industries
Friday September 14th 2018
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
This Inclusive Design Panel is a part of the DESIGNxRI Design Week and features the work and studies of 2 current Brown University students Laferriere Alex and Matthew Flathers 1 Brown University alumna Krystal Sarcone, 1 RISD student Mimi Tomiris Shyngyssova and 1 RISD alumna Jen Spatz, all working in the area of inclusive design. Our panel will talk about how design must go beyond accessibility and and how universal approaches in apparel, film, UIX, and architecture & space can facilitate truly inclusive spaces for people with disabilities, whether it be physical, mental, auditory or vision-related.
Summer@Brown Pre-College Course: Creative Design for an Inclusive World
Have you ever wanted build something to have a positive impact on the world? Social entrepreneurs are emerging as leaders of tomorrow, tackling real world problems through innovation and advocacy, embracing both an academic and hands-on approach. This is where the creative young minds of tomorrow come in!
This class will give young makers a chance to participate and build products, apps, apparel, furniture etc. through a universal and human-centered design approach. This approach naturally facilitates ideas that strive to improve our lives as humans and essentially build a more inclusive world through valuing user research and lived experiences. Read more...
"Brown University’s Breakthrough Lab (B-Lab) is an intensive 8-week accelerator program that supports student entrepreneurs developing high-impact ventures. Each venture receives sector-specific mentoring, a peer cohort of dedicated founders, and access to co-working space." This summer there are 14 student ventures and founders come from all across the Brown and RISD landscape and bring diverse perspectives, strengths, and interests to the cohort.
master's thesis
MPH 2017
My thesis is titled Marginalized Consumers: Exploring Disability, Body Image and Clothing Consumption. As partial completion of my MPH degree this paper reflects an impressive research endeavor to collect rich primary through 20 in-depth interviews with people with disabilities to gain first hand input on how they experience and consume clothing. This is also currently a working paper I hope to put out for publication in the next year.
preliminary qualitative look at clothing and apparel
Brown University Qualitative Methods Course Spring 16'
Inspired by my own experience with disabling health conditions and years of professional work with kids with diverse disability For our course project, I conducted three in-depth interviews with three individuals with limb differences or amputations, to learn about their experiences with apparel. This would eventually grow into a full fledged IRB approved research endeavor and direct my thesis work in partial completion of my MPH degree.
TEDX & BWXD & More
During my last year at Brown I actively found opportuniteis to engage with the community as much as possible to contribute to the conversation and movement in the field of disability and design. I started off the year with being a mentor and Art Grant Awardee at Hack Health, a workshop leader at Better World By Design (BWxD) on my thesis work on disability and apparel, and gave a TEDx talk in November about my experience with deafness and disability. I am also working on building a social venture that creates apparel for people with disabilities. The Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship and the Brown Design Workshop have provided small grants to help with this endeavor! I've also participated in Challenge Change Action at the Swearer Center, the amazing Design + Health course with RISD and the Aplert Medical School, and the WE@Brown Incubator to help build my entrepreneurial skills. I also have recently started to serve as a student representative for the Campus Access Advisory Committee (CAAC). I couldn't be happier and more motivated to continue this trend. With publishing my working paper, built out of my thesis research, and teaching courses this Summer@Brown I'll leave feeling I've left a mark in this realm of improtant reserach adn advocacy.