Pasadena tailoring shop specializes in alterations for people with disabilities

The co-founders of Sewn Adaptive say they're working to make sure this demographic no longer goes unnoticed.

Ashley Mackey Image
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Pasadena shop specializes in alterations for people with disabilities
Pasadena shop specializes in alterations for people with disabilitiesThe co-founders of Sewn Adaptive say they're working to make sure this demographic no longer goes unnoticed.

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Misty Diaz works as a model and said she has a closet full of clothes that she couldn't wear. Before she met the co-founders of Sewn Adaptive in Pasadena, she had only about two pairs of jeans that she felt comfortable in. Now, she has clothes that fit her disability.

"I'm able to be my true authentic self," said Diaz. "I'm able to show who I am and that's like loud and that's like bright and shiny."

The co-founders of Sewn Adaptive both have backgrounds in design and fashion and after working on a fashion show together, they saw a real need for tailoring and designing for people with disabilities.

"Our worlds were just turned upside down," said Alexander Andronescu, one of the co-founders of Sewn Adaptive. "We were like, 'We need to do this full time.' We would just tell each other every day, 'Lynn, how can we figure out how to do Sewn Adaptive full time?'"

"We had no idea how much the fashion industry has kind of ignored this demographic," said Lynn Brannelly.

The co-founders said what started out as Instagram posts to give tips to people sewing at home has blossomed into a brick-and-mortar shop and the first adaptive tailoring and alteration shop specializing in work for people with disabilities.

"I've had so many surgeries on my back and this isn't just a Misty problem," said Diaz. "Those with disabilities have had surgeries in certain areas and need comfortability and they were able to provide that."

"There's no reason why all of us shouldn't feel confident," said Brannelly. "There's no reason why all of us shouldn't get to be fashion forward and that's our mission."

"I'm finding out this parallel universe that has existed next to ours for so long," said Andronescu. "It's beautiful."

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