ERAM and Finestrelles bring fashion and inclusion together through the project “I Am Me, Dressing Is a Choice”
Fashion students from the University Centre of the Arts ERAM have designed and made adapted garments for users of the Finestrelles Foundation, in an initiative that also involved Qstura and photographer Maite Caramés.
The “I Am Me, Dressing Is a Choice” project is an initiative by the Finestrelles Foundation that seeks to highlight the right of people with intellectual disabilities to make their own decisions about their appearance and the way they dress.
The project involved ERAM and Qstura, a pattern-making and garment-making school with which the Fashion Degree is jointly delivered. The students worked on the design and production of made-to-measure garments, adapted to the individual characteristics, needs and preferences of each user of the Finestrelles Foundation.
Design adapted to each user’s needs
The initiative emerged from a collaboration between the Finestrelles Foundation, ERAM and Qstura, with the aim of offering students a design project based on a real-life need.
Throughout the process, the students worked with the users to understand their preferences and needs and adapt the garments accordingly. The project involved several stages, including taking measurements, developing patterns, garment production and fittings.
Through this process, the project highlights the difficulties that people with disabilities may encounter when accessing fashion that is adapted to their individual characteristics and preferences.
Maite Caramés documents the process
Photographer Maite Caramés documented different stages of the project, from the initial stages of the work to the fittings of the completed garments.
The process culminated in a final photo shoot in which the users were able to wear the garments created specifically for them. The photographs capture both the results of the design process and the relationships established between the participants throughout the project.
Exhibition planned for spring 2027
The “I Am Me, Dressing Is a Choice” project will continue with an exhibition planned for spring 2027. The exhibition will bring together the garments designed and produced during the project, photographs by Maite Caramés and material documenting the creative process.
The exhibition will provide an opportunity to give visibility to the project and explore issues related to adaptive fashion, disability and the right to make decisions about one’s own appearance.
The project involved students from ERAM’s Fashion Degree, the Finestrelles Foundation, Qstura and photographer Maite Caramés.
