According to data from WorldBank, approximately 15% of the world’s population (one billion people) experience some form of disability. But until recently, very few brands embraced the opportunity to provide members of this community with wearable, fashion-forward clothing options.
Retailist spoke with Emma McClelland, founder and CEO of Kintsugi – a UK-based apparel brand that provides bespoke, clothing options for the disability community. Her goal? Change the game for stylists, consumers and members of this inspiring community around the globe. The brand holds a passion for diversity and inclusion within the fashion industry, and a desire advocate for disabled people everywhere.
What problem is Kintsugi solving? Why is this so critical for the market?
Until recently, not many brands were designing with disabled people in mind as an end customer, which means that a lot of clothing isn’t very accessible. As an example, the pockets on women’s jeans are often at hip level, which means you can put your hands in them easily when standing, but not so much when seated (i.e. in a wheelchair). The “adaptive” clothing I saw before setting up Kintsugi was quite bland and it put functionality over fashion.
What made you take the leap to start the brand?
I started the brand after watching a TED Talk by Stephanie Thomas where she said that there were more clothing options available for dogs than disabled people. That was something that really stood out to me.
What we’re trying to do is put the two on an equal playing field and create clothing that adds value for women with particular impairments, but can also be worn, by everybody. Ultimately, it’s about giving people choice and making sure they’re not being presented with unnecessary problems when it comes to clothing and dressing. We strive to provide customers with inclusive, accessible clothing – without compromising style.
Describe a memorable moment for Kintsugi in the past three years.
The company pivoted slightly earlier this year, when we decided to split our offering into two brands. We had a core range of high-quality apparel that was designed to be accessible, but we also had a line of T-Shirts with tattoo-inspired prints of disabled pinup girls (think Rosie the Riveter with a prosthetic arm) and they were quite a different offering than Kintsugi. Frankly, we thought this is a smarter, more workwear/”drinks with the girls” oriented.
As a result, we created K, Babe as a sister brand. It sells apparel that promotes diversity and inclusion across multiple facets, including disability, sexuality and gender.
What are the next steps for Kintsugi? Do you think this is a market that will be expanding in the next few years?
The next steps for us will be to expand our range. We’d like to offer menswear, but I think that’s still a little way off. For now, I want to improve products so they add maximum possible value for our customers.
About Emma McClelland, Kintsugi CEO and Founder
Emma is a former features writer from Manchester. Before founding Kintsugi, she was an editorial manager at a corporate law firm. She founded Kintsugi Clothing in 2018 after watching a TED Talk about accessible design. You can find more information on Kintsugi here.
Related Articles

How Tariffs Are Reshaping Retail Hiring Strategies And Why Companies Must Adapt
Tariffs are forcing every retailer—big and small—to rethink their hiring and workforce strategies, but the need for great talent hasn’t changed, it’s evolving.

The Future of Brick-and-Mortar Retail: A Q&A on Augmented Reality and the Power of Image Recognition
The CEO of GoSpotCheck by FORM, Ali Moosani, explores how retail leaders are leveraging AI-powered technology to streamline operations, empower teams, and strengthen supplier partnerships.

Advertising for Recovery: A Policy Shift in Canadian Addiction Treatment
The problem is that information about health services isn’t always reliable. According to the report, Canadians’ encounters with health misinformation in the past year have increased significantly, and those who rely heavily on the internet and social media for news remain the most vulnerable.

Breaking the Digital Ad Barrier: A Q&A with Matt Wasserlauf, CEO of Blockboard
Web3 is next for digital advertising. Web3 includes blockchain and AI as a means for transparency, which is desperately lacking across the black boxes that dominate the industry, namely Google, Amazon, and The Trade Desk.