Tellin Tales to host disability fashion show

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Everyone has a fashion story, including people with disabilities.

"Fashion is often a challenge for people with disabilities," said Tekki Lominicki, founder of Tellin Tales Theatre.

"Sometimes because of a wheelchair, perhaps they can't wear certain and flowing things, like in my case I stoop forward when I walk so dresses need to be a little bit longer in the back."

Lominicki created a yearly fashion show for people with disabilities. Last year was its first year.

"We want people to know that fashion is important to us too, and since Tellin Tales is all about personal stories, I want to find everybody's fashion story," Lominicki said.

Next Saturday Tellin Tales is having another fashion show featuring people with disabilities from ages 14 to 25.

"The designers and the models will work together, but ultimately the designer will design the clothing for them," Lominicki said.

Reveca Torres is one of the designers.

"I am designing a really fun piece for a young woman in a wheelchair, she AHS cerebral palsy," Torres said. "I'm designing these pants that she can still wear with a guard in her chair but with the skirt over it that will cover the guard."

Reveca has mostly designed clothes for the general population.

"A lot of times people have told me, 'Oh you should design for people with disabilities,' and I always had it in the back of my mind but I never really had done that until now," Torres said. "I've done it here and there but this is exciting because it's going to be for a fashion show."

"I think we all want to be hip and cool and often we find clothes that fit us that are hip and cool and then sometimes we don't," Torres said. "We just want to give people clothes that make them feel great about themselves."

Tellin Tales Theatre's fashion forward is next Saturday at the National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted St. The event starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $65.