Stephanie Thomas (born in Chicago, Illinois) is an American disability fashion stylist, public speaker, voice actor, and professor.[1]

According to People magazine, while she was working at a radio station, WVKL-FM (95.7),[2] in Norfolk, Virginia, Thomas wore pajamas for a year as part of the "PJ Deejay" campaign and discussed the limited clothing options for people with physical disabilities on-air every day.[3] Thomas noted that she felt isolated by the stress of going out in public dressed in pajamas.[2]

Thomas has worked in disability fashion styling for 30 years,[4] developing and trademarking the Disability Fashion Styling System, which has been featured by Vogue,[5] The Guardian,[6] Refinery29,[7] Highsnobiety,[8] Paper[9] and The New Yorker.[10]

Early life and education

Thomas is a congenital amputee who has no right thumb and is missing three toes.[7] In a TEDx talk, she said she was not expected to be able to walk.[11] Thomas graduated from high school in 1987 and studied for a Master of Arts in fashion journalism at Academy of Art University.[12]

Career

In an interview with The Guardian, Thomas said she noticed in 2006 that "we have more clothing in stores for dogs than we do for people with disabilities".[1][13] Between 1992 and 2003, Thomas researched disability fashion and trademarked her Disability Fashion Styling System, which she established in 2004.[14][15]

Thomas has worked as a voice actor and jingle singer since 1997.[16] She has recorded voiceovers for Disney, Hilton, Macy's, Toyota, Martini and Rossi, McDonald's, and Netflix.[17]

Thomas is also an adjunct professor at Woodbury University in Burbank, California, where she teaches fashion marketing.[18]

In 2010, Thomas launched a blog about disability fashion that has become a business.[19][20] Thomas also hosts a podcast on disability issues.[21]

To mark the 75th anniversary of Disability Employment Awareness Month and Dwarfism Awareness Month in October 2020, Thomas produced and hosted a two-day online event called "The Power of Personal Style". Speakers included Jameela Jamil.[22][23]

Notable work

Thomas regularly works with 2019 Independent Spirit Awards–nominated[24] actor and disability influencer[25] Lauren "Lolo" Spencer, who has ALS.[26] Spencer has modeled for Tommy Hilfiger adaptive,[27] and was styled by Thomas for the Give Me Liberty film premiere at the Sundance and the film's screening at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.[10]

Honors

In 2016, Thomas spoke on "Dressing with Disabilities" at Canada's third-largest TEDx event.[28] In 2018, Thomas was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient by Academy of Art University. In 2019, the Business of Fashion website included Thomas on its "BoF 500" list of "People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry".[29]

In 2020, Thomas received an Ed Roberts Award for her work as a disability fashion styling expert, and as founder and CEO of Cur8able, a business dedicated to fashion for people with disabilities.[30]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Why are there more clothing lines for dogs than disabled people?". The Guardian. June 18, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Vowell, Roberta. "Ready to lose the jammies". pilotonline.com.
  3. ↑ "Cur8able: Stephanie Thomas Curates Clothing for People with Disabilities". People (magazine).
  4. ↑ "Disability Visibility Podcast" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "The $400 billion adaptive clothing opportunity". Vogue Business.
  6. ↑ "Why 2019 was a landmark year for disabled fashion". The Guardian. December 30, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Huber, Eliza. "People With Disabilities Deserve Great Style – & I've Made It My Life's Work". www.refinery29.com.
  8. ↑ "Bradley Carbone & More Speak on Disability and Fashion". Highsnobiety. August 28, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Stephanie Thomas Puts in the Work to End Ableism". Paper (magazine). June 15, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Crane, Brent. "Adaptive Fashion on the Red Carpet". The New Yorker.
  11. ↑ "Inclusive Design: Redefining the User Experience". Academy of Art University.
  12. ↑ "Stephanie Thomas Helps People | AcademyUFashion Blog". Fashion School Daily. November 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Disability fashion: Stephanie Thomas shakes up fashion". Uncomfortable Revolution. June 20, 2019.
  14. ↑ Dawson, Kelly (October 16, 2018). "Traditional clothes don't work for some people with disabilities – and that's a major problem". Vox.
  15. ↑ Jackson, Lottie (December 30, 2019). "Why 2019 was a landmark year for disabled fashion". The Guardian.
  16. ↑ "Disability advocates push for more accessible clothing - June 4, 2015" (Podcast). www.cbc.ca.
  17. ↑ Gaskins, Rudy; Baker, Joan (October 20, 2018). "Stephanie Thomas". Sovas.
  18. ↑ "Adaptive Fashion is Always in Style". Woodbury University. October 29, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Stephanie Thomas Puts in the Work to End Ableism". PAPER. June 15, 2020.
  20. ↑ Almeida, Angela (January 23, 2017). "Why Disability Is The Latest Fashion Industry Frontier". Bustle.
  21. ↑ "Cur8able sur Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts (in French). March 5, 2020.
  22. ↑ "National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2020: Increasing Access and Opportunity | U.S. Department of Labor". www.dol.gov. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Dwarfism Awareness Month". www.lpaonline.org.
  24. ↑ "Spirit Award Nominations Spotlight Indie Films in Need of a Boost | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com.
  25. ↑ "Disability Influencer Lauren "Lolo" Spencer on 'Give Me Liberty' and Authentic Representation | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com.
  26. ↑ Bergeron, Ryan. "Diagnosed with ALS at 14, she's now a disability lifestyle influencer". CNN.
  27. ↑ "'Give Me Liberty''s Lolo Spencer Would Not Have Gone to Fyre Festival". Interview Magazine. September 3, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Fashion Styling for People with Disabilities". TEDx Talks.
  29. ↑ "Stephanie Thomas is part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion.
  30. ↑ "4th Annual Ed Roberts Awards". Ed Roberts Awards.
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