Welcome to Vertige Adaptive, a fashion-forward, adaptive clothing brand. Vertige Adaptive is committed to making fashion much more inclusive and accessible. People with disabilities are extremely underrepresented in the fashion industry. There are limited adaptive brands on the market, with a small selection of styles and a lack of fashion-forward options. With 133 million Americans having a chronic illness, and an expected 170 million by 2030, the need for adaptive clothing is growing. The owner of Vertige Adaptive, Haley Schwartz, knows the struggle of dressing with a chronic illness from her own personal experience.
When Haley was four years old she was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia called Ventricular Tachycardia and later in her life also developed a chronic illness. Because of this, she had to wear heart monitors very frequently growing up. The cords of the heart monitor were long and would get tangled up in her clothes. Haley’s pockets were too small, so she had to either carry the monitor around with her or tuck it in the waistband of her pants. The leads would come off, so she either had to tape everything down to her skin or wrap a gauze bandage around her torso. It was extremely uncomfortable, and Haley was really self-conscious about it. Because she didn’t want anyone to know she was wearing a heart monitor, her attire would consist of sweatpants and baggy clothes. Her condition causes her to pass out a lot, and this would happen especially at school. She started being known as the girl who was always passing out and didn’t want that to be her identity. In an effort to make going to school more enjoyable, Haley eventually started putting cool outfits together. Without even trying, she became known for her style and for being into fashion. Teachers started being nicer to her, and adults started taking what she was saying more seriously. It was through all of this that Haley realized the power that fashion holds. She discovered pretty early on that fashion has a direct impact not only on the way we feel but also on the way people treat us.
Fashion was something Haley originally used to distract herself from her suffering, but developed into a tool that helped her navigate through a difficult time. That’s why Haley is starting an adaptive clothing brand. She’s starting with a small capsule collection for her first launch that can accommodate people with heart monitors, ostomy bags, feeding tubes, picc lines, central lines. It’s her intention that brand will accommodate a wide variety of health challenges and disabilities as she moves forward. Haley is creating fashion for people who need to reclaim their identity and feel powerful in spite of their challenges. She is grateful for the opportunity to share something that means so much to her with others who have similar stories to her own.
By: Kennedy Rhoades
