In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with internationally recognized fashion designer Izzy Camilleri, a true pioneer in adaptive fashion. She shares how her successful career in high-end fashion took a transformative turn when she began designing clothing for people with disabilities and partnered with Silverts—work that helped ignite today’s adaptive fashion movement. Izzy shares how to balances style with function, the importance of universal design, and the meaningful progress that the fashion industry has (and hasn’t) made toward true inclusion. Izzy shares her experiences, expertise and advice when it comes to what the future holds for adaptive apparel, customization, and technology as she shines a light on the power of fashion to help people feel seen, confident, and fully themselves.

Transcript

As an additional treat for you, our friends at Silverts and IZ Adaptive are offering a limited-time 15% discount on purchases over $50 for the MDA community! For Silverts, shop here, and for IZ Adaptive, shop here for your discounts.

Thank you, Silverts and IZ Adaptive!

Guests:

Izzy Camilleri is one of Canada’s leading and most celebrated fashion designers, and a pioneer in adaptive clothing. Izzy first ventured into the world of accessible clothing after initially doing custom work for a wheelchair user in 2004. It opened her eyes to the huge necessity for this type of clothing in the world. In 2022, Izzy received 2 awards for her adaptive line. She won the Innovation Award from the Women’s Empowerment Awards and the Fashion Impact Award from the CAFA Awards. In 2006, she received CAFA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. Her adaptive line has been featured in the Royal Ontario Museum. For more than 39 years, she has designed custom clothing for an international clientele, crafted gorgeous collections featured in fashion magazines from Vogue to InStyle, and dressed celebrities like Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Wahlberg, Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie, and David Bowie. Since 2009, Izzy has focused on inclusive fashion through her brand IZ Adaptive, with the mission to make great looking and well-fitting clothes accessible to everyone.

Connect with Izzy:

• Website- https://izadaptive.com/
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/izzy.camilleri.9/
• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/izzy.camilleri/?hl=en

Host:

Mindy Henderson is MDA’s Vice President of Disability Outreach & Empowerment, Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2, when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and author of the book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

Connect with Mindy:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with public speaker, consultant, and disability advocate, Jax Cowles. Jax shares an honest, thoughtful, and deeply creative conversation about daily life, independence, and problem-solving. She opens up about how creativity and “life hacking” became essential tools rather than optional skills, and how small, low-cost adaptations can completely transform everyday tasks. Jax shares her experiences, expertise, and advice when it comes to practical insight, encouragement, and a refreshing perspective on living creatively and fully—exactly as you are.

Transcript

Guests:

Jax Cowles is a speaker, consultant, and disability advocate who uses her unique perspective and experience in creative storytelling, organizational strategies, and her expertise in architectural and fashion style/design to break the barrier between fearing versus embracing disability.

Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) at 20-months old, Jax began sharing her story at a young age, speaking at schools and events to show it’s OK to be different. From her early school days, to a 2024 Keynote Gala speaker, Jax has always been a proud member of MDA.

Through her travels to cities like London, Paris, and Amsterdam; Jax highlights accessibility around the world and encourages others that nothing is impossible when you’re the writer of your own story. She believes accessibility should never be a question and that with the right tools, information, and mindset, we can build a more inclusive world—not just by thinking outside the box, but by breaking the box

Connect with Jax:

• https://www.jaxcowles.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhqq8GaKYLmFs-v4xQjkrw
• https://www.instagram.com/jaxcowles/
• https://www.facebook.com/jaxcowles
• https://www.pinterest.com/jax_cowles/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynncowles/
• https://x.com/jaxcowles

Host:

Mindy Henderson is MDA’s Vice President of Disability Outreach & Empowerment, Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2, when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and author of the book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

Connect with Mindy:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-sander-89b75a274/
• Instagram: @la.sander / https://www.instagram.com/la.sander/

• Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/IraWalker321

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/