While dropping off a competition application in The Junction, I came across an Izzy Camilleri Storefront that caught my eye and wandered in completely unaware of what I was about to encounter.
IZ Adaptive is Canadian designer Izzy Camillery’s line of accessible clothing for a “seated” clientele, and the store is the first of it’s kind. From the clothing itself to the layout and interior design, everything within this space is well thought out and quite aesthetically pleasing. Positioned in the storefront windows are Mannequals designed by Sophie Morgan, a paralyzed artist and model from London who has also starred on the TV show Britain’s Top Missing Model.
Luxurious fabrics and intelligent, purposeful design are the epitome of this line’s aesthetic. According to the IZ representative, the blocks had to be completely redesigned in order to develop patterns conducive to the common issues regarding wheelchair bound consumers. There are certain things that we take in life for granted, and I think it is amazing that this Canadian designer has come up with a line providing quality service to a previously ignored market base without sacrificing style or comfort.
So how does IZ differ from the regular retailer? First of all, the clothing: The patterns are designed with a seated clientele in mind. In order for the garments to fall properly in a seated position, they must be drafted in a more 3 dimensional manner.
Some of the design-related problems plaguing the seated community are as such: inability to put on or remove clothing with ease, long coats or dresses getting caught in the spokes of the wheels, waistline of the pants riding down in the back, body proportions that are not taken into account with standardized sizing. Additionally, IZ does a lot of custom work and carry various styles catering towards varying degrees of injury.
The actual store space: IZ Adaptive Clothing is a lovely, modern space with ample room to move about with ease. Panels displaying some of the pieces have the ability to slide back into the wall should more room be required, and the changerooms are large enough to allow for a 360 degree rotation in a wheelchair.
The clothing is all reasonably priced as well. This waxed cotton trench that caught my eye in the front window turned out to only be $260.00. Design is (and should be) everywhere,and be accessible to all. A line as thoughtful and cleverly engineered such as this truly deserves recognition.
For more information or to visit the store, the address is as follows:
2955B Dundas Street West Toronto, Ontario www.izadaptive.com
No comments:
Post a Comment