Denver Fashion Week features adaptive clothing for first time

Denver Fashion Week is underway and for the first time, the show will feature a locally made adaptive clothing line.

Everything Margaret Moton and her fellow designer with Resourceful Threads creates is one of a kind. They make pieces entirely from recycled fabrics and old clothing, truly living up to their company's name. Their latest fashion line is even more unique.

"It has a Velcro back so that if you wanted to put it on more like a smock, it would be easy to put on and take off," Moton described of one of her newly made jackets.

Partnering with the nonprofit, Guided by Humanity (GBH), Resourceful Threads has helped create "everyBODY" – a new adaptive fashion line designed for the disabled community.

"Sometimes we see folks that roll into the studio that use power chairs," said Mary Medellin Sims, executive director of GBH. "And they have blankets over them because there aren't jackets that are accessible."

With that in mind, Moton says she wanted to work directly with people, who have various disabilities to learn what works best for them.

"The design was really spearheaded by the models themselves," she told CBS News Colorado anchor Kelly Werthmann.

Models like Kate Nelson, who was featured on CBS Colorado in 2019, prepared to make their debut on the catwalk.

"I showed up on that casting day just hoping I would plant a seed," Nelson said.

That seed blossomed into something she never dreamed possible. Nelson became Denver Fashion Week's first-ever model in a wheelchair.

"I didn't trip, so that is a highlight," Nelson said with a laugh after her first show in 2019.

She has since inspired more designers, including Moton, to create adaptive clothing.

"People with disabilities represent a huge portion of the population, and everyone deserves a chance to look good and feel good in what they're wearing," Nelson said.

As Nelson takes to the runway this year, she'll help make history once again with everyBODY becoming the first adaptive clothing line featured at Denver Fashion Week. Nelson will be joined by other models from the disabled community, too.

"Denver Fashion Week has been so accepting," she said tearfully. "I can't thank them enough."

It's another inclusivity dream turned reality.

"Fashion is for everybody," Moton said. "I think this is a wonderful opportunity to show that."

Denver Fashion Week: https://bit.ly/3psIUQW