From models in reptilian masks (did you see the lime green lizard with a pierced eyebrow?!) to egg-accented bustiers, you really see it all at New York Fashion Week. But as designer Alexa Jovanovic gazed at the 2023 show, she struggled to find the one thing she was looking for.
“I’m always looking to see how much disability inclusion is really involved,” said Jovanovic Newsweek. “I was really disappointed with this year’s fashion week from a disability perspective.”
The 28-year-old is changing that with her own brand called Aille Design, created to make the space more inclusive. The unique clothing line, pronounced “eye”, features perfectly legible braille beads.
“[Aille] is “much more than just a clothing brand,” said Jovanovic. “We are creating the braille fashion movement and that means bringing representation to all aspects of disability and inclusion.”
Designed for inclusiveness, accessibility
His team works with visually impaired people when designing new braille pieces and messages. At first, the message was a physical description of the item and how to take care of it – think of the label on the garment. It has since been expanded to include motivational phrases such as “diversity includes disability” and personalized messages.
Jovanovic also wanted to create a product that was accessible and easy to wear, especially for people with disabilities. The fabric requires no ironing, is machine washable and designed for walking, making it ideal for those with guide dogs or a cane. Although created with the visually impaired in mind, the clothes are for everyone. Since launching three years ago, the brand now offers blazers, dresses, sweaters, pants and more, all handcrafted in Buffalo, New York.
The blue dress
Aille’s signature piece, the blue dress, took over two years to design and depicts the color blue from the perspective of ten blind women.
“We worked very closely to learn more about the personal experiences of these ten women,” Jovanovic explained.
Along with the phrasing, she asked each woman what she wanted the dress to represent and how to make it as accessible as possible. The finished product features these stories on the front of the dress in braille. The dress is crafted with over 2,600 beads and the back is designed with a long zipper for easy use.
how it started
Aille Design began as a research project in college, Jovanovic recalls sharing the details with then-boyfriend Jake Walsh on their first date.
“I had just filed our patent application for a few parts and he was so excited from day one,” she said.
“I thought that was really cool,” Walsh said, recalling their date at the art museum. “It was impressive to me that she did all this work and got the patent and developed this unique idea herself. I was very impressed from the start.”
Fast forward six years, the two are now married and in business together. Jovanovic focuses on design and creation, while Walsh takes care of the business aspects.
“To be able to do this as part of a team effort has been absolutely phenomenal,” Jovanovic said.
The duo plan to collaborate with mainstream companies within the space to raise awareness of disability inclusion and look forward to seeing more performance on the runway next year.
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