Sinead O'Dwyer Brings Accessibility to Copenhagen Fashion Week
Featuring what’s possibly the first-ever guide dog to walk a runway.
Sinead O’Dwyer is always one to watch, and that didn’t change just because she moved from London Fashion Week to Copenhagen. If anything, the Irish designer’s Danish debut was a level above her previous showcases, thanks partly to the city’s glorious Opera Park in which the show was held, and in majority due to O’Dwyer’s affinity for accessibility.
Working with a foundation that supports the visually impaired, the designer’s showcase saw its usual slew of real models, including London-based models Jade O’Belle and Skye Standley, along with a blind model and her guide dog. This may well have been the first-ever guide dog to appear on a fashion week runway, something that — now we’ve said it — feels like a massive oversight on the industry’s part, and yet, O’Dwyer is showing us all just how easy it is to be inclusive.
The designer also enlisted global superstar Mahalia to walk the runway, a prominent advocate for body diversity. At last, a celebrity on the runway that actually makes perfect sense.
@hypebae London designer Sinéad O’ Dwyer had a guide dog on the runway at her #CPHFW show. 🐶 Video: Hypebae #london #copenhagen #sineadodwyer #copenhagenstyle ♬ original sound – HYPEBAE
Speaking to O’Dwyer post-show, she tells us: “Last season, we worked with a foundation to bring about an accessible runway for blind and low-vision people. This time, we not only wanted to continue that partnership but also, wanted to make it better. We spoke to the blind and low-vision guests and discussed the things that could be improved and then we implemented them.”
She cites audio descriptions and touching fabric swatches as some of the ways in which the showcase was made more accessible and notes Lucy Edwards, the model who walked with the guide dog, as an instrumental advocate for the blind community.
Speaking about the decision to show in Copenhagen, O’Dwyer told us: “I love London, but I actually have a lot of ties to Denmark. My uncle and my wife are Danish, so it feels really lovely to be here. I’ve been here a lot since I met my wife, so it didn’t feel totally out of water to be here.”
Take a look at the showcase above and for more from CPHFW, check out our SS25 recap.
