SU’s Runway of Dreams turns spotlight onto adaptive fashion
For the second time, Sasha Soraci walked in the annual Runway of Dreams fashion show. She said participating in the show has given her a sense of community. Md Zobayer Hossain Joati | Inclusive Journalism Fellow
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Sasha Soraci is no stranger to the runway world; she’s always loved fashion. Sasha also knows she needs to be confident. She credits Beyoncé for her mindset and always inspiring her to be strong.
“You always got to prove to people that you are that girl. You do your thing, you get up and you look yourself in the mirror and say ‘I am that girl.’ Then you go out and strut all the way out there,” Sasha said.
On Sunday night, Sasha was one of the eight models to walk in Runway of Dreams’ annual fashion show, held in Syracuse University’s Schine Student Center Underground. The event was hosted by SU’s chapter of the Runway of Dreams Foundation, a national nonprofit organization which focuses on advancing disability inclusion in the fashion and beauty industries.
SU’s Runway of Dreams college club began in 2023, and last year they held their first fashion show featuring students and members of InclusiveU, SU’s college program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The show included models sporting outfits from dresses to more casual everyday button-downs. The modeled outfits included pieces from all kinds of brands, with a goal of highlighting students with disabilities within the fashion world.
One of the main focuses for the event was to bring awareness to the lack of accessible adaptive clothing and encourage change in the fashion industry, said Carly Klonsky, Runway of Dreams’ social media manager. By bringing awareness to these issues, people who do not have a disability are able to understand the challenges individuals face, she said.
Klonsky said while she isn’t directly impacted by a disability, she first started to specifically notice shoes lacking accessible aspects. They represent a larger pattern of inaccessibility in fashion.
“Shoes are something that you genuinely need and so many people can’t put them on themselves,” Klonsky said. “How are people supposed to get to that point of being independent and having their own style without having shoes that are either ugly or not accessible?”
Parents and friends came to support the models, including model Nicole Massab’s mother, Cathy. Cathy said she hopes more brands will begin to incorporate inclusive designs, especially popular brands such as Roller Rabbit or LoveShackFancy, so people with disabilities can enjoy access to them, too.
Brands like SKIMS and Tommy Hilfiger have released lines including clothes with adaptive aspects, such as front clasping bralettes and one-handed zippers which are designed with disabilities in mind. The event’s organizers praised these brands at the beginning of the night.
To promote brands that make clothing for people with disabilities, the event featured an inclusive clothing brand, SOLACE Collective, which was entirely founded by SU alumni. The brand is dedicated to crafting sensory-friendly clothing, made to adapt to the clothing needs of neurodivergent people that most brands tend to overlook.
Sasha said walking in the show this year was a highlight of her month. Getting to walk in the Runway of Dreams show for the second time has allowed her to be herself and find a sense of community, she said.
Sasha’s mother, Lisa Soraci, said she loves watching her daughter get an opportunity to shine and not have to diminish herself. She has found the InclusiveU and SU community to be extremely helpful in making Sasha feel accepted and welcomed.
“We feel so fortunate to be part of it. I never would have envisioned 10 years ago that she’d be in college, so this has been a dream,” Lisa said.
Other parents from the audience expressed the same gratitude for the InclusiveU program and the environment SU has built for students. Michaela Mazur’s parents, Jen and Leo Mazur, said they have noticed that inclusive programs help to destigmatize disabilities and create a broader space for inclusion.
“Syracuse is her place. She has found her community on Syracuse’s campus, one that she did not find in her hometown,” Jen said.
In the future, SU’s Runway of Dreams chapter hopes to continue their fashion shows and continue to work with InclusiveU to highlight adaptability within the industry, Klonsky said.
“I just hope that people can understand that our world today is not necessarily made for everyone in it, even though there is so much technology. I’m just happy that this can bring that to people’s attention,” Klonsky said.
