We Are Able

Caludia Poh

新加坡

专业组

I’m an entrepreneur and I find great joy in innovating useful solutions that can be experienced and worn. I'm a designer who's passionate about helping the community grow their confidence so that we live, thrive, and become the best version of ourselves. My journey in the field of adaptive fashion began in 2017, where I got the opportunity to co-create with friends and also the disability communities in New York and Singapore. From hands-free dressing systems to wheelchair-accessible clothing, I’ve collaborated with like-minded problem solvers, makers, product designers, and occupational therapists. I founded Werable, a business that seeks innovative new ways to construct clothes so that regardless of your mobility, getting dressed can continue to be an exciting and empowering experience. Werable is an apparel brand and we create clothing that enables us to live, thrive and become the best version of ourselves. We do so by innovating easy-to-wear styles, so that regardless of your mobility or dexterity, getting dressed can continue to be an exciting and dignified experience.

《We Are Able》

参赛组 | 专业组

Werable is an apparel brand that creates clothing catered to the disabled community, enabling them to dress easily in a dignified manner. Various disabilities have limited individuals’ level of dexterity in their fingers, making buttons or zippers an obstacle in when getting dressed. Hence, Werable seeks to navigate these inconveniences by innovating new ways of putting on clothing, so that our customers can put on clothing, even single-handedly.

To achieve this, Werable has collaborated with occupational therapists, people with disabilities, and caregivers, to create six different easy-to-wear styles that can be worn with just one hand. Our pieces have gone through many iterations and test fits to minimise the level of difficulty of putting on the outfit, for both the disabled and their caregivers. Zippers found in most commercial dresses are inconvenient for the disabled community to put on. To solve this, we were inspired by the traditional Japanese kimono, which only requires an obi (sash) to keep the robe closed and secure. To achieve this in modern clothing, we have incorporated magnetic closures such as our easy-to-grip wraps and hook fasteners, allowing for a clean look that is also easy to wear.

Our take on the obi achieves a similar effect as a belt paired with a dress, creating the perfect silhouette over a dress by defining the waist. The buckle is also adjustable, providing an easy one-dress solution for most individuals. As for pants, we have also incorporated inseam pockets that stores catheters and fully conceals the tube. Most clothing with such functions is usually secured to the wearer’s leg or belly, making for an uncomfortable experience. This method also causes the catheter bags to be difficult to dispose of. Our solution of inseam pockets makes the disposal process a lot more convenient and the use of catheters less obstructive when putting on clothing. At Werable, we believe that disabilities should not become a deterrence towards an individual’s self-expression through their clothing. Through adaptive clothing, we seek to inspire confidence in our customers, showing that people with disabilities can also be fashionable.