Australian designer focuses on creating clothing line for wheelchair users

From the Inner-West-Courier in Australia:

Ben Cutler’s career in the clothing industry was inspired by providing confidence and comfort for people in wheelchairs.

Mr Cutler (pictured) recently started a clothing line in Alexandria called Benedict Cutler Clothing Solutions which gives stylish clothing options for wheelchair users.

“I have worked as a carer for the past 2 1/2 years and I had a client who just was going back into to work at his office job in the city,” Mr Cutler said.

“I went to help him get into his clothes and it turned out all his clothes wouldn’t fit properly.”

Mr Cutler says clothing has to be altered to cater for those in wheelchairs; for example when men sit in a suit jacket, it has a different look to when they are standing.

He said it was a look of devastation on his client’s face when he couldn’t find anything to wear on his first day back that made him decide to do something about it.

He had a look around and was surprised at how little he found that catered for the need of wheelchair users.

He is currently looking at expanding his line to include jeans; all his clothing is produced in Sydney.

“There are maybe two or three big suppliers of this type of clothing that do it overseas.

“The thing with the Australian market is they don’t really concentrate on it.”

Mr Cutler said it was an “un-recognised need” within Australia.

Clothing that caters for things such as catheter and sitting down all day.

“It’s the basic idea that if you look good you feel good; it’s the armour of the modern workforce.”