IN MANCHESTER, DISABILITY SHONE ON THE CATWALK
By: Erica Commisso
The runway in Manchester last month looked a little different, a little more diverse. It wasn’t fashion week, it wasn’t a designer’s special presentation. This time, it wasn’t even really about clothing - it was about social commentary.
Disability Pride Catwalk was held on June 27 and marketed as a performance, as a space for people from all walks of life to show up for each other. It was a celebration of adaptive clothing, showcasing accessibility in its many forms and highlighting what - and who - fashion is really for.
The purpose of the event, according to the website, was to centre “disabled experiences and ways of moving through the world that are often excluded from mainstream fashion and cultural spaces,” and it was presented with the aim of disrupting expectations and provoking alternative thoughts about the fashion industry, who it serves, and who belongs in it. The event took place during Disability Pride Month in order to raise awareness and further the messaging that all bodies and all forms are beautiful while challenging the idea of a stereotypical model form.
Source: @recondition.mcr / Credit: @gracefulchaos.co @graceameliaphoto
Disability Pride Catwalk 2026 was curated by a Manchester-based fashion brand called RECONDITION, which works at the intersection of access, design and lived experience to create clothing in close collaboration with the disabled communities. RECONDITION’s founder, Ellie Brown, organizes the disability catwalk every year, urging people to come as they are and come with an open mind. She aims to create a space where people can unapologetically show up as themselves in every form and feeling and find a place of inclusion and acceptance, and find clothing that represents them.
Disability Pride Catwalk also explores another aspect of fashion: the part that denies people access, highlighting the ways in which people are denied entry or experience obstacles that not everyone faces in fashion. It ponders the idea of what it means to build a space that holds everyone and their individual and diverse needs, highlighting the ways in which the industry needs to work to reach that level of harmony.
During the presentation, models of all ages walked the catwalk to highlight the fact that all bodies belong in fashion, and this year’s event showcased 16 models ranging from their 20s to their 50s, each of whom is chronically ill, neurodivergent, or disabled. The runway presentation itself came together with the help of local sponsors, makeup artists and stylists who carefully put each look together to prove that form and function don’t have to mean sacrificing style.
The event was free to attend and held space for everyone, offering videos and instructions on how to access the event space for people with disabilities and through different methods of transportation, proving that everyone was truly invited to attend. It’s part of one of RECONDITION’s many events to create greater inclusion for the disabled community, joining workshops, coffee meetups and other events that raise awareness, funds, and teach the entire Manchester community about inclusion. With each one, RECONDITION hopes that the industry becomes a little more accessible for all.
The Disabled Pride Catwalk was the first of its kind in Manchester, and it seemed to be a resounding success.