"First of all, I want a satisfied client, and then come earnings:" fashion designer creates stylish adaptive clothing for people in wheelchairs

For people in wheelchairs, finding comfortable clothes is often a challenge. Ordinary clothes aren't designed for bodies in sitting positions for an extended time period –  wide sleeves can get caught in the wheels, pants can sag and fall down –  these are just some inconveniences people in wheelchairs face. Although comfort is a priority, aesthetics are also important.

Since there is no mass production or specialized stores with adaptive clothing in Ukraine, people in wheelchairs must seek out a tailor who can alter their clothes – but not every tailor is well-versed in such needs.

Anna Pavlus, who was injured in 2016 and ended up in a wheelchair, also faced the problem of finding comfortable clothes. Thanks to her education as a fashion designer, and more than 18 years of experience, she started creating clothes for herself. During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she expanded her production to a full-fledged brand.

"When I got injured, my everyday clothes became uncomfortable for me. Therefore, I began to adapt them to myself. In 2021, I participated in the Fashion Inclusia project, showcasing my clothes. They asked me to sew some for them too," Pavlus shared with Rubryka.

In 2022, Pavlus received a business grant for ₴250,000 (around $6,000) to develop her brand. She learned about this program from an advertisement while watching TV in the evening. Then Pavlus realized that she had to apply.

"It was difficult to write a financial plan and a business plan. I needed to describe everything in detail and prove that my idea is socially important now," Pavlus recalls.

Anna Pavlus is the founder of the Wheelny brand.

During the development of the brand name, Pavlus was initially inspired by her initials, but in the end, her idea was transformed into something more symbolic. "Wheelny" plays on the Ukrainian word for "free" – "vilnyi."

"The clothes themselves inspired us. We took the English word 'wheel' as a basis – because we create clothes for people in wheelchairs – in addition, they are convenient and comfortable, so we put the word 'free' in the name."

Anna Pavlus in a Wheelny tracksuit. Photo from the heroine's archive.

In March 2023, thanks to support from grants and other programs, the entrepreneur launched Wheelny as an adaptive clothing brand for people in wheelchairs out of her atelier in Bila Tserkva, in the Kyiv region.

Since she is a fashion designer, Pavlus developed clothing models quite quickly. Although the first batch of sweatpants and home clothes were uncomfortable, she kept on working to improve them.

"At that time, I did not understand how necessary it was to make the pants higher in the back. I thought it would be enough to raise it by five centimeters, but it was not enough. Now I might make the back half of the pants higher than the front half by more than 35 centimeters," the designer emphasizes.

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Anna Pavlus in a Wheelny tracksuit.

Back view of pants.

Pavlus offers her customers various models of male and female underwear and outerwear. All clothes are adapted to the sitting position of the body: the sleeves don't interfere with turning the wheels, and the pants comfortably cover the back.

Currently, most orders are for warm sports suits, which customers find comfortable, stylish, and universal – making them an attractive and cost-effective option.

Men's tracksuit.

In addition to selling designed models available on the brand's Instagram page, the atelier accepts custom orders – which, according to Pavlus, are the most popular: "Each client has a different type of injuries and, accordingly, the body's position while sitting. Also, during the selection of clothes, the condition of the muscles plays a significant role. The pants may be size L, and the top XXL."Ulyana Pcholkina and Anna Pavlus. Photo from the heroine's archive

The brand owner advises her customers both offline and online through social networks. It helps to choose the right sizes. Pavlus admits that it is difficult to describe how adapted clothes differ from ordinary ones, so she always advises buying something to feel the difference and draw your own conclusions.

"We receive feedback from customers. There were no negatives yet. If there are any issues, we correct them," Pavlus continues. "We had a case where the measurements for a suit were taken incorrectly, and it turned out to be too small. It was returned, and we put it up for sale. First, I want a satisfied client, and then come earnings."

One of the conditions of the grant program was job creation, so Pavlus employed three employees, one of whom was a resettler in a wheelchair. Although winter weather makes commuting to the atelier difficult, she will return to full-time work in the spring.

Anna Pavlus with an employee in a wheelchair. Photo from the network

"I plan to develop a social enterprise, and I plan to solve this issue. My employees need to get to work somehow," explains the brand owner.

Since the studio is located on modern premises, it was already equipped  wide, wheelchair-convenient entrances, explains Pavlus. But while working with sewing machines, some modifications were necessary. The mechanism's pedal is usually operated by foot, which may not be viable for some wheelchair users — so they repurposed available walking canes to operate the pedal using their shoulders, for ease of use while working. "That's how we work on wheelchairs. Ukrainians are smart people — they will always find a solution," says Pavlus.

Atelier of the Wheelny brand.

During her work, the entrepreneur has already begun receiving orders for adaptive clothing from abroad, and has already sent a suit to Poland as a gift.

"We are constantly improving and expanding. More and more people learning about us is crucial for us," emphasizes Pavlus.

In addition to adaptive clothing for people in wheelchairs, the enterprise receives orders from wounded soldiers. She sewed one suit for a soldier who lost both legs and used prostheses. However, Pavlus says that now, her priority is clothes for people in wheelchairs.

"Currently, I want to put the production of clothes for people in wheelchairs on track, and then I will develop clothes for military personnel with amputations," the entrepreneur says.

Anna Pavlus is the founder of the Wheelny brand. 

The Wheelny brand will soon turn a year old, and the owner plans to continue to develop it and increase the premises and volume of production of adaptive clothes. Pavlus dreams of opening her own showrooms with adaptive clothing for people in wheelchairs. She is also thinking about expanding the range of products and developing shoes and insulation for chairs.

"Our mission is to make adaptive clothing affordable and comfortable. The buyer should be satisfied not only with the comfort, but also with the way it looks. I want people in wheelchairs to be able to buy or order everything they need," the brand owner emphasizes.

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