Fashion designer Michael Kuluva hasnt let rheumatoid arthritis (RA) get in his way.
But hes acknowledged a notable void in the fashion and beauty industries when it comes to adaptive options and more inclusive designs for people living with an illness or disability.
He isnt alone.
There are online initiatives in the form of hashtags, blogs, Twitter chats, and Instagram accounts that explore the relationship between fashion and chronic illness. It can be a pain for people in pain to dress themselves.
It can also be difficult to find fashionable, stylish options that are also adaptive and functional for anyone with a disability or aching body.
Read more: Get the facts on rheumatoid arthritis
Kuluva is the founder of the label Tumbler and Tipsy, which he debuted at New York Fashion Week.
However, the former figure skater didnt always dream of a career in fashion.
After he retired from his sport in his mid-20s, Kuluva realized that he had another interest and a talent that couldnt be ignored.
He began working as an assistant for a designer despite having no formal training. He eventually secured a scholarship to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM).
During his time at FIDM, he found that he was performing well academically but couldnt perform some basic tasks.
I noticed I could not even draw a straight line, and I had other little setbacks. I had trouble cutting fabric and I began comparing myself to other students, Kuluva told Healthline. My joints just weren't doing what they should be. I had pain. Then, one day, walking from class to my car, my back suddenly gave out.
Kuluva first thought he had a kidney stone. He saw a urologist who told him the issue wasnt urological and suggested that Kuluva see a rheumatologist.
After visiting three doctors and waiting months to be seen at the Mayo Clinic, Kuluva was eventually diagnosed with RA. Through trial and error, he found a combination of medications that worked pretty well for controlling his condition.
No medication is ever 100 percent, but my regimen is going well, he said. If I miss a few weeks of treatment, because of travel or fashion shows for example, then I can definitely feel that. I didnt really have issues while figure skating. I had some bursitis, but I dont think it had anything to do with my RA. So, my decision to retire from skating was not related to my rheumatoid arthritis, but Im glad I retired when I did.
Read more: The making of an American Ninja Warrior
After showing a collection that would eventually help to launch the career of model Kendall Jenner, Kuluva started to think about how he could use his art and his platform for good.
Theres been a lot of proud moments a lot of great moments that are unforgettable. Kendall Jenner helped to launch my career and vice versa, he said. This gave me kind of a voice in society. So my CreakyJoints collection was a pivotal moment where I got to express myself within my fashion.
The collection is a collaboration with the arthritis-related nonprofit CreakyJoints, to promote RA awareness on the runway.
CreakyJoints has worked with celebrities like actress Megan Park to promote RA awareness, but this fashion collection came about rather organically.
Real Housewife of New York Jill Zarins daughter was backstage in my dressing room, and we got to talking because she has a form of arthritis, too. It got me thinking, and after our conversation I figured I might contact CreakyJoints after that collection was done, Kuluva recalled.
He said he just wanted to lend his voice to a cause and be an advocate for something.
I like the nonprofit mindset of CreakyJoints, all for the patients. The president, Seth, has [spondyloarthritis], and so he really gets it, Kuluva said. So we all had lunch and brainstormed what we could do together. They pretty much left it up to me. I came up with putting starbursts on all the joints in my SS2017 show. The starbursts, while fashionable, represent the joint pain.
Kuluva said the fashion industry still has a void to fill with adaptive and inclusive fashions for people who are sick or have disabilities. This is especially in terms of shoes and footwear.
Kuluva did acknowledge that some current trends of more comfortable and functional styles may be ideal for people with chronic pain.
As for his own work, he continues to dream big and strives to do more. Kuluva has a history of incorporating charity and social change in his work as a fashion designer.
I was hoping to inspire change with the collection that I did. I hope that it opens eyes and spreads awareness, Kuluva said.
In an interview for The Mighty, Kuluva explained his CreakyJoints collection by saying, It really shows the joints affected by arthritis. Its an explosion of colors on joints that would light up on tests for arthritis.
Being diagnosed with RA at age 28 could have destroyed his career or his vision for the future. But it didnt.
Kuluva advises other young people diagnosed with illnesses like RA to keep looking forward and not hiding their condition.
As long as you're open and honest with your doctor and your family with what is going on with you and your health, you can get the help you need. An organization like CreakyJoints can help you understand that you may have restrictions, but you can still achieve great things, he said.
Read more: Dolls with disabilities gaining in popularity
Kuluva is doing his part to spread awareness and other designers are, too.
Tommy Hilfiger has designed some adaptive clothing for children with special needs and physical disabilities.
Fashion bloggers have fought back against ableism in fashion shoots. (Like Kylie Jenner and Lady Gaga using gilded wheelchairs as props.)
Madeline Stewart has made headlines as a model with Down syndrome.
New York Fashion Week began to use models with disabilities, including amputee Shaholly Ayers.
Beyonc cast disability activist Jillian Mercado as a model in one of her advertising campaigns.
And many more brands are coming out with adaptive clothing that is fashionable and chic, yet still provides necessary comfort and functionality.
Still, many fashions dont have stylish, easy-to-wear or adaptive alternatives, or inclusive runway shows or advertising campaigns.
The beauty industry also lacks variety when it comes to ergonomic and adaptive options for hairstyling tools and makeup brushes.
But designers like Kuluva think that these baby steps toward progress are working in favor of people with health problems or physical disabilities.
I think the industry will get there, he said.
For now, the Arthritis Foundation has a list of approved arthritis-friendly products with the Ease of Use seal of approval, to help people with arthritis dress themselves more easily. They also have suggested footwear brands and options.
Other websites, like the now-defunct Arthriving site from Aleve, have attempted to catalog the best products to help people with arthritis pain function better when it comes to daily activities like drying their hair, cooking, buttoning a blouse, fastening a bra, or tying their shoes.
While that site is gone, there are many blogs that offer tips for living well with chronic pain or limitations in terms of physical mobility and ability.
Read more:
Fashion for People with Arthritis and Other Painful Conditions - Healthline
- Team USA diver from The Woodlands fights juvenile arthritis - FOX 26 Houston - May 5th, 2024
- The best products for arthritis in hands 2024 - National Geographic - May 5th, 2024
- Analysis Strongly Supports Turmeric Supplementation to Improve Arthritis and Osteopenia - Good News Network - May 5th, 2024
- May is arthritis awareness month - SSM Health - May 5th, 2024
- Lower CVD Risk With Stable DMARD Therapy in Seropositive RA - Medscape - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritis Pain: Which Vitamins and Minerals Are Best? - Shape Magazine - May 5th, 2024
- Psoriatic Arthritis Triggers: Stress, Illness, Weather and More - Health Central - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritis Foundation Partners with Target to Produce Ease of Use Design Guides for Product and Packaging Design - AccessWire - May 5th, 2024
- MSPCA seeks donations to help offset cost of surgery for German shepherd with severe arthritis - Boston News ... - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH... - May 5th, 2024
- Team USA diver from The Woodlands fights juvenile arthritis - FOX 5 Atlanta - May 5th, 2024
- May 18: It's time to Walk to Cure Arthritis - Manchester Ink Link - May 5th, 2024
- Cracking Knuckles Causes Arthritis And Other Common Myths Debunked - Onlymyhealth - May 5th, 2024
- Fast Five Quiz: The Role of Joint Replacement Surgery in PsA - Page 2 - Medscape Reference - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritic Therapeutic Market Poised to Surpass $136.1+ Billion Globally by 2032, Fueled by a 5.5% CA - PharmiWeb.com - May 5th, 2024
- Pharmacist explains best diet to reduce arthritis, inflammation and joint pain - The Mirror - March 10th, 2024
- Teen Raises Funds to Fight Arthritis - Arthritis Foundation - March 10th, 2024
- Is there a higher risk of depression among specific populations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis? - News-Medical.Net - March 10th, 2024
- Here's How to Explain Your Arthritis Pain to Your Doctor So They Actually Get It - Northwest Georgia News - March 10th, 2024
- Despite Their Prevalence, Arthritis, Neck and Back Pain Receive Few Research Dollars, Analysis Finds | BIDMC of ... - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical... - March 10th, 2024
- This Is the Difference Between Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis - Prescott Daily Courier - March 10th, 2024
- The #1 Early Sign of Arthritis Most People Miss, According to a Rheumatologist - Northwest Georgia News - March 10th, 2024
- The Efficacy and Safety of Apremilast in the Management of Psoriatic Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Cureus - March 10th, 2024
- MU Researchers Participating in International Clinical Study Targeting Prevention of Osteoarthritis - University of Missouri School of Medicine - March 10th, 2024
- Review: Real-World Evidence Confirms Effectiveness and Safety of Adalimumab Biosimilar SB5 - The Center for Biosimilars - March 10th, 2024
- A Gender-Bias-Mitigated, Data-Driven Precision Medicine System to Assist in the Selection of Biological Treatments of ... - Cureus - March 10th, 2024
- Young arthritis cases are on the rise, new research suggests - The Examiner - March 10th, 2024
- Quiz: ACR Guideline for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Psoriatic arthritis: What to know about medications for children - Medical News Today - February 10th, 2024
- Ancient Egyptian woman had holes on her bones. Experts say its rare case of disease - Miami Herald - February 10th, 2024
- Arthritis and Pregnancy: Fertility, Gestation, Postpartum - Verywell Health - February 10th, 2024
- 3500-year-old burial of Nubian woman reveals 1 of world's earliest known cases of rheumatoid arthritis - Livescience.com - February 10th, 2024
- Impact of frailty severity and severe pain on cognitive function for community-dwelling older adults with arthritis: a cross ... - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- IHL-675A: Advancing Towards Innovative Arthritis Solutions, with Mark Bleackley, PhD - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Insomnia, Shorter Sleep Duration Linked to the Risk of Autoimmune Arthritis - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Advancements in Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment for Children: A Beacon of Hope - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- Breakthrough Molecule RvT4 Reverses Inflammation and Clears Arterial Blockages in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients - SciTechDaily - February 10th, 2024
- Personal Experience with Psoriatic Arthritis and Atopic Dermatitis - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- EULAR Recommendations on Imaging in Crystal-Induced Arthropathies (CiA) - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- The Importance of Ultrasound-Guided Synovial Biopsy in the Workup of Seronegative Inflammatory Arthritis: A Case ... - Cureus - February 10th, 2024
- Autoimmune diseases like lupus, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis strike far more women than men. Scientists now think they know why - Fortune - February 2nd, 2024
- Multiple Ulcers in the Ileum and Lymphadenopathy Following the Usage of Methotrexate in a Patient With Rheumatoid ... - Cureus - February 2nd, 2024
- These are the best arthritis creams of 2024, according to health experts - Yahoo Life - February 2nd, 2024
- Do Your Joints Ache When a Storm Is Brewing? Here's What's Really Happening - DISCOVER Magazine - February 2nd, 2024
- Olympic bronze medalist opens up about balancing arthritis with motherhood and triathlon - TRI247 - February 2nd, 2024
- Some Dinosaurs May Have Had Arthritis 90 Million Years Ago - IFLScience - February 2nd, 2024
- 3500-year-old remains of ancient Egyptian suffering from rheumatoid arthritis uncovered - Xinhua - February 2nd, 2024
- Lupus and other autoimmune diseases strike far more women than men. Now there's a clue why - The Associated Press - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day on February 2: What you need to know - CNBCTV18 - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day 2024: Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Prevention - News18 - February 2nd, 2024
- Improving arthritis in cold weather | Health Smart - WPMT FOX 43 - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day: History, Significance And All You Need To Know - ABP Live - February 2nd, 2024
- Dietary Factors Tied to Osteoarthritis Pain | MedPage Today - Medpage Today - February 2nd, 2024
- Cold-weather coping tips for people with arthritis, osteoporosis and lung diseases - Southernminn.com - February 2nd, 2024
- How to manage arthritis and joint pain: Effective tips for knee pain relief - Health shots - February 2nd, 2024
- New study illuminates the genetics of thumb arthritis treatment - News-Medical.Net - January 25th, 2024
- Rheumatoid arthritis: 30 minutes of walking may lower blood pressure - Medical News Today - January 25th, 2024
- RA Disease Activity Assessed Too Little After Starting TNFi - Medscape - January 25th, 2024
- Lifestyle tips for youth's bone health: Avoid these habits to prevent arthritis - Hindustan Times - January 25th, 2024
- Best arthritis pain relief cream of 2024, according to experts - AOL - January 25th, 2024
- Vasculitis, an Early Unusual Presentation of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report - Cureus - January 25th, 2024
- Patients with later menarche, earlier menopause have higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis - Healio - January 25th, 2024
- Investigating Maternal Inflammatory Arthritis and Pregnancy Outcomes < Yale School of Medicine - Yale School of Medicine - January 25th, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes: What's the Connection? - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- Oxidative DNA Damage and Zinc Status in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Duhok, Iraq - Cureus - January 25th, 2024
- Changes Afoot for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis with Marked Gains in Preference and Utilization of IL-17 Inhibitors - Yahoo Finance - January 25th, 2024
- The Connection Between Potassium and Rheumatoid Arthritis - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- What Is the ACR20 (American College of Rheumatology) Criteria? - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- RA Treatment Advances and Where They Are Headed - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- TMC Medical Minutes- Arthritis & Cold Weather - KXII - January 25th, 2024
- How to deal with joint and arthritis pain in the cold weather - Crossroads Today - January 25th, 2024
- Arthritis: Regular exercises, calcium-rich diet and other habits to keep your bones strong and healthy - Moneycontrol - January 25th, 2024
- Men With Arthritis Have Higher Fertility Rates, Study Finds - Zenger.News - January 25th, 2024
- Pain on Top of Foot: 5 Causes, Swelling, Treatment - Verywell Health - January 25th, 2024
- Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women: Genetics, Hormones, and Impact - Medriva - January 25th, 2024
- Arthritis | Johns Hopkins Medicine - January 9th, 2024
- Ideal cardiovascular health metrics have better identification of arthritis - BMC Public Health - BMC Public Health - January 9th, 2024
- Acupuncture for Arthritis: Benefits and Risks - Verywell Health - January 9th, 2024
- Why do arthritic horses have more trouble during the winter? - EQUUS Magazine - January 9th, 2024
- Rather than roll over and die, I'm like, 'No, I still want to play': Steve Morse says arthritis diagnosis forced him to ... - Guitar.com - January 9th, 2024
- Top Signs that Your RA Treatment May No Longer Be Working - Health Central - January 9th, 2024