If your clothes could talk, what would they say? Local fashion designer, Balini Naidoo, believes an outfit has a language of its own and has created a range for people who are blind.
Her uncle is blind person, and this made her realize that he struggled with choosing what to wear, reading the size and wash care details on a label.
Naidoo believes that fashion should be inclusive, so she began creating garments which allowed blind people to ‘see’. The range of braille apparel is altering the industry.
In 2018, Naidoo founded her eponymous line, Balini, designing clothes with a braille identification system printed on them. Each item has a pattern of raised blocks, explaining what would typically go on the label as well as the colour and style. The garments are also reversible, making them easier to wear. Naidoo’s range is as fashionable as it is practical, keeping to a minimalist aesthetic and soft tones.
According to the South African National Council for the Blind, the prevalence of sight disability in South Africa is the highest of all disabilities with about 32 percent of people living with the disability.
