Tampa fashion designer creates clothing for people with disabilities
TAMPA, Fla. - Lady Natasha Fines is combining fashion with function for those like her model Anna-Saphia Rogers, who uses a wheelchair.
She created her company Lady Fines Adaptive Fashion for consumers who have been largely overlooked in the design world.
"For those that have physical disabilities or chronic illnesses or even invisible disabilities. Right now, there's a huge gap in the fashion industry for brands like mine. So it's very fashion forward, really girly and super fun," said Fines.
The pieces have accessible features.
"Like Velcro, magnetic closures, where some girls are able to really put on the clothes with a little bit more ease versus when they're struggling," said Fines.
Her company is inspired by an aunt who battled cancer.
"I noticed during her chemo treatments that are very invasive. And so they would have to kind of tear her shirts open, and it wasn't very fun. So I kind of designed a tracksuit with her in mind," said Fines.
Rogers also acts as a consultant for Fines on her designs.
"Having her type of clothing out there gives me ideas and gives other ideas on how to change clothing to where it is accessible, and it is easy for wheelchair users like myself to be able to be independent and free and express themselves in fashion," said Rogers.
The two are about to embark on a dream chapter. They are participating in New York Fashion Week.
"We're going to have ten amazing girls with us. My goal is to have most of them coming from Tampa so that we're representing in New York City," said Fines.
"There might be another little girl out there with a disability seeing someone like myself or others who have started, and they can believe that, yeah I can do this too," said Rogers.
For more information about Lady Fines Adaptive Fashion, click here.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter