A COVENTRY University researcher is hoping to empower young women with Type 1 diabetes by helping to create a clothing range specifically made to suit their needs.
Rachael Hughson-Gill is aiming to create a toolkit clothing companies can use in the future to create more empathetic and inclusive designs for young women aged between 18 and 25.
Rachael enlisted the help of the university’s fashion design students for the project, which started with bringing a group of 12 women with Type 1 diabetes together to find the daily challenges they faced.
The results of this research found body image was a primary issue for the women.
The next stage saw the group co-design ideas for products, systems and services that could support body image, with ideas including clothes that can continuously monitor glucose levels and possibly change colour to signal any changes.
Other ideas included wedding dresses with places to hold insulin pumps.
“We were exploring the challenges they faced living with and managing Type 1 diabetes and body image was said to be something they struggled with as the need to manage the condition can lead to an increased connection, relationship and awareness of body and body image.
“Our co-design group went on to explore how wearable technology, bruising and weight fluctuations can change how their bodies look and the clothes they choose to wear when at times they want to look, feel and be treated like everyone else.
“I really want this to have an impact.
“For people with Type 1 diabetes, solutions are often just given to them, but this project allowed them to have that power to say what they want and need.”
