RTÉ2's brand new show, The Fitting Room, is on a mission to prove that fashion can be fun and accessible for all. Presented by Paddy Smyth - a fashionista with Cerebral Palsy - the programme aims to celebrate difference and rip open the seams of what makes each of us unique.
Clothes are an important part of how we represent ourselves to the world, but if your body or identity isn't being served by the fashion industry, how can you put your best foot forward?
In the video above, host Paddy Smyth and stylist Ciara O'Doherty discuss their love of fashion and the power of re-styling a good outfit. Watch Ciara work her magic on simple little black dress in the Instagram video below.
On Monday night on RTÉ2, we will meet Sinead McManus from Kildare, Jake Keighery from Athlone and Britney Arendse from Cavan.
Sinead McManus has albinism and often faces what she calls "subtle prejudice" – awkward looks and stuttering questions. Shopping is difficult for Sinead as she needs to methodically move through the aisles looking at each item. She often gets separated from her friends who see items across the shop from a distance and quickly move away, leaving her stranded. She also finds it difficult to read sizing labels.
20-year-old Jake Keighery lives at home with his mum in Athlone and is known among friends and family as ‘The Athlone giant’. 6ft 7" tall with very broad shoulders, Jake finds it a real struggle to find shirts, jackets, and tops that fit him. Wardrobe staples would be jeans, and shirts with a t-shirt and leather jacket. He tends to stay away from bright colors because of his size.
Britney Arendse was involved in a car crash when she was just 9-years-old, and with life-changing injuries, she was left paralysed from the waist down. The Arendse family moved to Ireland from South Africa several years ago, and before the accident, Britney was very sporty and loved to swim. She is now a world record holder in para powerlifting and wants to represent Ireland at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Watch The Fitting Room on RTÉ2 on Monday 29th April at 10:10pm. Catch up now on the RTÉ Player.
