SPRINGFIELD — Sheila Shea never imagined she would participate in a fashion event. When she was a truck driver, Shea said her go-to outfit for 19 years was an oversized men’s button-down shirt, blue jeans and a baseball cap.
“I am not a fashion-type woman. I would say that I had zero fashion sense,” Shea said. “I was always neat, clean, tidy, and picked up, but my idea of fashion is it just has to cover me.”
On Sunday, Shea will grace the stage at the third Fashion for Everyone runway show at The Cedars in Springfield.
The Fashion for Everyone show aims to highlight the importance of inclusivity and self-expression, proving that fashion truly is for everyone.
Shea’s life took a dramatic turn nine years ago after a car accident left her with a spinal cord injury and in a wheelchair.
“I don’t walk; my hands are messed up. I can’t get dressed on my own,” she said.
Shea said she went from being staunchly independent to being reliant on other people for every aspect of her life.
When Shea’s personal care attendant suggested she should participate in a fashion show, she thought it was a crazy idea. “Because I had no idea how to dress myself, and then, boom, I am in a fashion show,” she said.
Shea’s personal care attendant knew the show’s organizer, India Anderson. Anderson designed a flowing top that Shea wore with blue jeans, gray boots, and accessories on the Fashion for Everyone runway last year.
Shea said the outfit worked perfectly, even hiding her colonoscopy bag.
Shea felt nervous backstage, but when it was her turn, she rolled down the runway and back.
“I got to the back, and India was there. She gave me a high five, and I was like, ‘I did it! I did it!’” Shea said. “I represented my community of wheelchair users and fellow quadriplegics on the runway.”
Shea said more models who use wheelchairs are needed on runways because people who use the devices struggle with finding clothes that fit properly. For instance, clothes that resonate with Shea are jackets or tops that stop at the hip and longer pants to cover the ankles.
Shea said she felt a sense of loss on the final day of the show.
“We felt bonded as a community of differently abled folks because our abilities and disabilities never came into focus,” Shea said. “I am not sure India understands what it means to a bunch of us. A space where abilities don’t matter; what mattered was that everyone came together to represent fashion and show how fashion makes a difference.”
Nathaniel Thompson, another participant says he will be fearless and brave enough to express himself during the fashion show Sunday. (Submitted photo)courtesy
Nathaniel Thompson, another participant, shared his excitement about Sunday’s fashion show. “I feel awesomely great,” he said. “It is okay to be nervous right now. You have got to stay independent and virtuous, be fearless and brave enough to express yourself during the fashion show.”
Anderson, the show’s organizer, believes in the power of fashion to bring people together.
“You do not have to be in high fashion, model, or follow the norms or stigmas that society has placed on fashion,” Anderson said. “Everyone does not have to be 100 pounds to love fashion.”
Anderson said IG N Company, an organization started by her and her husband Greg Anderson, believes in inclusivity and supporting underserved communities. The duo created the Fashion for Everyone show to be around like-minded individuals whose passion is fashion, she said.
Greg and India Anderson. (Submitted photo)courtesy
The show, now in its third year, has grown from 12 models to about 40.
“I have seen over the years the confidence building within the program has given them,” she said. The staff and participants have built friendships and stay connected even when the fashion show is not going on.
Anderson said the main mission is to expose and expand the experiences of individuals who might not be able to access these opportunities due to stigma, financial hardships or other reasons.
“We created our nonprofit IG N Company in the hopes that we could offer these events, workshops and programs at low to no cost for those at risk, individuals with autism, and mental and physical health disabilities,” she said.
The next program is a nine-week fashion course geared towards all abilities and at-risk youth in the community. The nine-week summer course will culminate with a special trip to New York Fashion Week.
The Fashion for Everyone runway show at The Cedars in Springfield is scheduled for Sunday. Doors open at 2 p.m., and the show starts at 3 p.m.
Fashion designer India Anderson and her grandson. (Submitted photo)courtesy
