“The biggest reward has always been getting to see people’s faces when they put the clothes on,” says the fashion designer of her experience making clothes for people with dwarfism.
“We often take for granted how important clothing is for our confidence and self-esteem,” says 24-year-old Chamiah Dewey. The majority of Dewey’s customers have “never worn clothes designed for them. They’ve never experienced putting on a long sleeve top [and not having to] roll up the cuffs, putting on a pair of trousers, and not having to roll the hems.”
Dewey designs clothes for short-stature people under 4’11”, such as those with Achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Despite being a standard-size woman herself, Dewey has grown to be very passionate about inclusivity. There are an estimated 651,700 people with dwarfism in the world, and it’s a percentage of the population that is often sidelined by fashion and the media. “We have grown as a society to be more accepting of race, sexuality, and certain visible differences, but short-stature people aren’t ever included in the conversation,” continues Dewey.
A major criticism of the recent increase in “representation” in fashion is that diverse casting is often performative. Though media representation is important, fashion inclusivity should start with clothes that fit — whether that’s for plus-size people or those with disabilities. Brands like Dewey’s are essential in doing the groundwork: fittings, measurement audits, and creating tailored clothes, mannequins, and size charts.
Dewey created a mannequin based on the proportions of a woman with Achondroplasia and a fashion template book that reflects the short-stature body of both slim and curvy models. Previously, like many designers, her fashion illustrations were “really skinny and elongated, not reflective of my customer at all.” For her size chart, she gathered measurement data from 25 short-stature women and then worked out the most flattering designs. After that, she figured out proportional difficulties by sampling: “I think each piece from the CORE collection was sampled at least five times.”
“To start with, I was only really looking at the body of a woman with Achondroplasia, but now, I’m working to re-invent the brand, including all short stature bodies, including those with conditions like Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Brittle Bone, Spina Bifida, Down’s Syndrome, growth hormone deficiency, other forms of dwarfism, and just generally small people!” explains Dewey.
Dewey was always interested in fashion, owning a fold-out Barbie runway as a child and plastering her walls with fashion images after being enthralled by a Christian Dior documentary. But it wasn’t until she worked with a youth program and met a young woman with dwarfism that her career path was shaped. The young woman’s resilience inspired Dewey as she learned of the daily challenges she faced. “She was only 16 at the time, and I remember thinking how difficult it must be to feel like you fit in with your friends when you can’t wear the same clothes.”
When Dewey went to the London College of Fashion to study, her tutors encouraged her to make clothes for small-stature people. “However, as supportive as they were, they had even less knowledge than I did about adaptive and short-stature fashion.” So, conceiving her brand would involve a lot of research and trial and error.
Fashion is a notoriously expensive business requiring financial investment before profits can be reaped. “For those fortunate enough to grow up with some kind of monetary privilege, this often comes from family members and friends investing at an early stage,” explains Dewey. Dewey’s business has been self-funded until now, with the exception of grants and awards. She worked as a learning support assistant in a school to support her business endeavors. “It will come as no shock that my biggest struggle so far has been finances, but that slightly comes as a blessing because I’ve had 2 1/2 years of intense learning, and now, when I secure funding, I can put it into the development of new projects with more extensive knowledge.”
And her biggest reward? “The biggest reward has always been seeing people’s faces when they put the clothes on… The confidence…[it] makes all of the hard work worth it.” Her first fashion show at London Fashion Week in September 2022 was the happiest day of her life. “I stood backstage and became overwhelmed with joy; I sobbed like a baby! It meant a lot to the models to be able to wear clothing that was designed for them.”
Chamiah Dewey wants to be the Long Tall Sally — the fashion destination for tall women — but for small people: “A globally recognized name that is the one-stop shop for short stature people… [with] clothing, footwear, accessories, lifestyle products, and even homeware one day.”
Image courtesy of Chamiah Dewey.
