In 2021, DIAC published its Design Impacts Framework to demonstrate how positive design interventions in Placemaking can be assessed and measured. In the third phase of this research, DIAC is applying the Framework to projects in other disciplines.
IZ Adaptive
The vision to create fashion that truly works for wheelchair users is behind Izzy’s revolutionary designs. Adaptive clothing for men and women encourages independence, promotes self-esteem, and makes great looking and well-fitting clothes accessible to everyone.
Designed to provide fashion and functionality that meets the needs of both a seated and standing body, IZ products facilitate ease-of-dress and provide all-day comfort which are very important for wheelchair users. Tops have a slight A-line, to fall naturally without being tight. They snap shut in the back so they can be put on without lifting your arms or pulled on over your head. Pants are cut to prevent bunching or digging in at the front, as well as riding down in the back. Front flies are a little longer for easy access. Pockets are accessible due to the positioning. Different closures are offered for customers with dexterity challenges. All products are designed to be easy to put on and take off.
IZ Adaptive’s universal design has led to it being called “The World’s #1 brand for adaptive clothing”. Through graphic and user experience design, they are growing #TheIZNation. Customers are invited to show off their IZ style for a chance to be featured on the IZ Adaptive website or one of their channels: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube. Those interested in being an IZ Influencer, a content creator, or just sharing are invited to join the tribe - people around the world helping to make change happen. Customers can benefit from the IZ rewards program. The IZ Blog incudes related stories such as Revolutionizing Intimates, Wheelchair Ventilation and Self-Love.
IZ Adaptive said “Creating an inclusive fashion world means nothing if we don’t have a clean world to live in”. So, they designed the 1-1-1 climate impact initiative in partnership with Greenspark to drive environmental benefits and improve the sustainability and transparency of this brand. For every order, they plant one tree, rescue one plastic bottle, and offset one kilogram of CO2. Signing up for their newsletter offsets an additional five kilograms of CO2. Total impacts are listed on the IZ Adaptive website.
After years of experimentation, in February 2021, Izzy launched the Game Changer Pant, removing the seams customers would normally be sitting on, to promote their health and wellbeing. Seams can pinch, bunch, or press into skin. Revolutionary IZ Seamless Technology™ minimizes the causes of pressure sores, protecting the integrity of skin to prevent infection leading to serious health issues. It is featured in jeans, chinos, sweats, and yoga pants. When it comes to inclusive fashion, these pants are the first of their kind. As a recognized leader in this field, IZ Adaptive offers consulting to help other brands become more inclusive.
From June 2014 - January 2015, the Royal Ontario Museum featured these revolutionary designs in an exhibition titled "Fashion Follows Form: Designs for Sitting". It won the Richard Martin Exhibition Award, with one of the jurors describing it as a theme of "social justice and human rights”. In 2022, Izzy received two awards for her adaptive line: the Women’s Empowerment Awards Innovation Award and the CAFA Fashion Impact Award.
Learn more...
izadaptive.com
