Unless you are one of my regular readers, you’ve probably never heard of an online store called Patti + Ricky. I’m guessing, though, that you’ve probably heard of a national morning TV program called the Today Show. If you tune in to your local NBC affiliate on Thursday, May 9th, you will have an opportunity to watch the founder of www.pattiandricky.com make her Today Show national television debut.
While most Americans watching the Today Show are doing so while getting dressed to go to work, a task performed more or less mindlessly day after day, it is a task that may be insurmountable for some people with disabilities. Further, when it’s time to engage with the world beyond our doorstep, finding mainstream, fashionable clothing that is inclusive of everyone can be a challenge. Sweats are fine for knocking around the house, but sometimes the world expects a little more. What if an important client meeting meant dressing to impress on a day when chronic pain made fastening the buttons on your work shirt impossible? Wouldn’t it be empowering to know you could opt for a dress shirt with magnetic closures? What if you wanted to go swimming on a resort vacation, but in a typical bathing suit, using the bathroom is an ordeal? Wouldn’t it be great if there existed a swimsuit that enabled you to use the bathroom unassisted? A suit that didn’t require a complete undress, which may not be feasible for someone with a mobility disability? What if you are receiving medical treatment for an illness that requires intravenous medication via a PICC line, and would like to wear something to cover the port that’s more attractive than a plastic hospital sleeve? What if using an ostomy bag decorated with a pretty pattern or funny saying could lift your spirits, just a little? Or, what if you wanted to give a jewelry gift to a loved one with vision loss that was embossed with a sentimental message he or she could actually read?
Alexandra Connell is the founder of an online department store that offers a wide variety of gifts, clothing, and accessories for men, women, and children with and without disabilities. She will appear on the Today Show to talk about Patti, her mom, and Ricky, her cousin, who are the inspirations behind the amazing pattiandricky.com web site, which offers ingenious solutions for barrier-free fashion.
You may recall that I’ve written about this online destination previously, and I have also interviewed Alexandra on The Fashionability Channel podcast. Now, you’ll have a chance to see her share some of her products with a national audience.
One reason I think you might be interested in watching the program is because pattiandricky.com is one of the distributors of my Elegant Insights Braille Creations. Alex wore some of my jewelry on the set, and brought a couple of pieces to share during the “walk and talk” she did with the show host. Whether or not any of my products made the cut, and didn’t end up on the editing room floor, as it were, remains to be seen. However, if they take a medium shot of Alex, you’ll see one of my necklaces around her neck, and one of my cuff bracelets on her wrist. Needless to say, I’m very excited about this.
Any of you who have been following me for awhile know that I have been in business since 2011, and that I sometimes exhibit my products at ACB or NFB national conventions, state conferences, art shows, and expos. I hope you share my excitement as my braille jewelry gets national exposure. Some of the items Alex has available are exclusive to pattiandricky.com, so I’ll have a link back to her web site, with photos on the Elegant Insights home page, with a caption that reads: “As seen on the Today Show,” of course!
Whether or not my products actually see the light of day is only one aspect of the importance of the segment. People with disabilities are badly underrepresented in the fashion industry, and are all but invisible in print and digital media. This Today Show appearance is a victory for all of us, because Alex is bringing inclusive fashion to a mainstream audience. I call that must-see TV!
Don’t forget – The Today Show on NBC Thursday, May 9th. The segment will probably air the 3rd hour of the show, barring breaking news, a natural disaster, a mass shooting, or someone in our government doing something scandalous or saying something stupid. Oh – I’m sorry…was that last one superfluous?
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LL