Australia and New Zealand’s leading fashion, sports and lifestyle retailer, THE ICONIC, is proud to today announce the launch of a dedicated Adaptive Edit. This move sees THE ICONIC become the first major ANZ retailer to launch a tailored shopping destination to better serve the 1 in 5 Australians living with disabilities and other access needs*.
The launch of THE ICONIC’s Adaptive Edit marks an important milestone in the retailer’s continued commitment to be a leading force in driving greater inclusivity and accessibility for ANZ shoppers, as outlined in THE ICONIC’s Annual Progress Report, and further aims to better represent the broad and diverse needs of Australian and Kiwi consumers.
THE ICONIC Adaptive Edit curates items that prioritise functional style and ease of dressing through features such as thoughtful closures, seated-wear solutions and fits for prosthetics. The Edit will launch with an introductory assortment of over 130 pieces across menswear, womenswear and kidswear from Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, Brisbane-label Christina Stephens, and Melbourne-based JAM The Label, created by Australian Occupational Therapists, Emma Clegg and Molly Rogers.
In bringing this edit to life, THE ICONIC worked closely with leading global accessibility consultancy, All Is For All, to ensure the launch of this new category offering from THE ICONIC was created with a considered approach, informed by lived experiences.
Erica Berchtold, CEO of THE ICONIC, comments on the launch of THE ICONIC Adaptive Edit: “We’re incredibly excited to offer our customers a new way to access adaptive fashion on THE ICONIC and this Edit marks an important milestone in our ongoing journey to better meet the diverse needs of every ICONIC customer. While we are proud to be launching this tailored edit, in doing so we recognise that there’s much more work to do. And so for us, THE ICONIC Adaptive Edit is only the beginning as we continue to drive progress towards a more inclusive, accessible and empowering shopping experience for every ANZ customer, irrespective of ability.”
Grace Stratton, Director of All Is For All, comments “This new edit is an important step forward in the journey to uplift the disabled experience. It makes a phenomenal difference in people’s lives and perceptions to see disability meaningfully represented on a platform like THE ICONIC. This Edit represents an opportunity for more people to understand and embrace the beauty of disability, and experience the ease enabled by adaptive fashion.”
THE ICONIC Adaptive Edit is available to shop now as part of THE ICONIC’s market-leading offering of fashion, sport, beauty, wellness, toys, kids and more. The addition of the Adaptive assortment will also see key items shoppable as part of THE ICONIC’s Considered Edit, an innovative filter that makes it easy for customers to shop by the sustainability values that mean the most to them.
Shop THE ICONIC Adaptive Edit now HERE. You can read more about THE ICONIC’s commitment to diversity and inclusion HERE.
Jacquie Fegent-McGeachie, Adaptive Edit Lead and Head of Sustainability at THE ICONIC
“We know there is no finish line when it comes to acknowledging and empowering the diverse needs of our shoppers, however, we also know that the introduction of a tailored assortment that provides greater ease, access and choice is an important first step. We look forward to working with the disability community and partner brands to continue on this journey.”
Lauren Parker, Tokyo 2020 Paralympian and world champion
“THE ICONIC having an Adaptive Edit is so essential because it enables people with a disability to feel included. To have fashion garments that are easy to put on and remove helps people’s independence and quality of life. It encourages people to have confidence in themselves and their individuality.”
Molly Rogers & Emma Clegg, Co-Founders of JAM The Label
“We at JAM believe that every single person should have access to on trend clothing that is comfortable, easy to wear and makes them feel great. Having a disability shouldn’t define your choice of outfits or limit how you express yourself. We absolutely love that inclusive fashion is going to be available on a mainstream retailer like THE ICONIC! We applaud THE ICONIC for taking this step to embracing greater inclusivity of people with disability.”
Jessie Sadler, Founder / Designer of Christina Stephens
“From the outset, the founding mission of Christina Stephens has been to bring adaptive and inclusive fashion to the mainstream. To give women living with disabilities and other access needs a choice in fashion and a choice to be included and heard. As one of the country’s leading adaptive clothing labels, we are thrilled to be part of this new edit. It’s great to see THE ICONIC take a leadership role in helping drive adaptive fashion further into the mainstream and offer greater accessibility for customers of all abilities.”
Tommy Hilfiger, Principal Designer of Tommy Hilfiger Global
“Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive is about creating fashion that is accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. Getting dressed should be a joy – an experience that empowers you to look good and feel good in what you are wearing. Our adaptive collections have revolutionised everyday dressing for people with disabilities, giving them the independence and confidence to express their individuality through style.”
*Access need versus disability
Access Need: an access need can occur during a stage of someone’s life where that person requires assistance to access the world around them or to be enabled to the fullest extent. Access needs are often transient and can be due to situational factors such as ageing or pregnancy.
Disability: in contrast, disability is a part of culture. It is living life with an impairment and battling the various inaccessible systems that exist. The word disabled is important to use as it acknowledges the cultural and societal experience of disability, which those with access needs do not experience.
