We had the best day at our photoshoot last year. Some of our models have said it was their favourite to date (And you better believe we are a little smug about that).
As occupational therapists, we are accessibility experts. So, to us, creating a fully accessible photoshoot was fairly straightforward and as important to us as the clothing we were shooting. We (along with our creative director, Jason Clymo) found our talent, asked them their accessibility requirements and went about making the day a successful and positive experience for all. BUT we are well aware that there’s not many fashion brands that have been started by two occupational therapists, so ensuring accessibility may not come as easily to others.
We have friends who are models with disability and they are constantly saying that they feel the opportunities for them are less than non-disabled models. They were also feeling like if they were booked for a job, they were there to just tick a diversity box and that their individual needs were often unmet or unthought of.
By now, you may have seen our “Accessible Photoshoot How-To” video resource.
We created this as a BTS look into a fully inclusive and accessible photoshoot for other brands. We wanted to give them the confidence to engage with the disability community and thought that having a practical how-to video coming from another fashion label would be an approachable starting point.
We want every brand to feel confident to have a really diverse range of models at their shoots, and to feel like they have the tools to navigate a space that they maybe haven’t had the opportunity to before.
If you’re a brand or business owner and are wanting to chat about the steps to creating an accessible photoshoot, don’t hesitate to reach out. We LOVE talking about this stuff.
We had the best BTS crew on the day. Big thanks to:
Videographer - Kate Newlyn ft. Scott Newlyn
Photography Studio - The Studio Melbourne
Creative Director - Jason Clymo
Photographer - Sandy Rogulic
Stylist - Penny Hyams
Make Up - Kate Radford
Hair - Kara from Absolu Hair Salon
