Qaysean Williams is a rising fashion designer, rapper and aspiring actor who is affectionately known as “the one-hand sewing man” because of his ability to cut and sew clothing and accessories with the use of only one arm due to his Erb’s/Klumpke’s Palsy. Williams turned to fashion to mask his deformity and founded his fashion label, Manikin Mob. Williams shares how his experience growing up with a disability influenced his career path and moved him to become a creator and innovator with a “Super-Ability.”
At what point in your life did you realize that only having the use of one hand would not stop you from being a designer?
For me, fashion literally saved my life as a teenager growing up in the inner-city of Trenton, New Jerseywith a disability. Fashion was how I created my identity and how I expressed myself. Initially it was only to distract others from seeing my deformed arm, and then it began to unlock a sense of purpose that I never really felt as a kid. From then on out, fashion became a part of me.
My journey as a fashion designer officially began in 2009. I was skeptical at first because self-doubt about my disability would always creep into my mind. How could I possibly create great fashion in a beautiful way with my “limitations,” especially in a field that usually requires the use of two hands? I began traveling throughout the tri-state area attending fashion shows to network and to get my feet wet in my new field. Seamlessly, I received a lot of great feedback which led to an abundance of new connections and the start of my customer base. The crowning moment was the day when I found out that Hip Hop legend Trina wore a pair of my custom shoes in one of her music videos in 2014, which made the front page of the famous blog (MediaTakeOut). That validation gave me the courage that a guy who uses only one hand could really make beautiful fashions that even celebrities would want to wear. The magic within me emerged and I was creatively inspired to bring more of my designs to life.
You do all your pattern making and cutting, what adjustments/modifications have you made for yourself to do this single handedly?
Throughout my entire life, I’ve had to make adjustments to adapt to the world around me, from learning to dress myself and carry things to even knowing that I truly needed help. As I pause to reflect on this question, I think that I trained my brain early on to automatically make the necessary adjustments best suited for me, just as any fully able-bodied would approach a challenge. It’s like a toddler who finds more satisfaction and enjoyment playing with a box rather than the present inside. It’s all in how you look at the possibilities.
Fashion design is no different, especially for someone like me who enjoys making a gown with a train length of 10 feet. When it comes to pattern making, I use the floor space a lot because I am able to use my foot as my left hand to hold the rulers in place when I need to make grain lines, draw out pattern pieces, and grade them. When it comes to cutting fabric, I use a lot of straight pins to tack my pattern pieces in place. I also use weighted items like coffee mugs, my cellphone, bottled water, or even my eight-year-old niece to hold down certain areas of the pattern when I’m cutting. Rotary cutters are my BFFs because they are easy to use, cuts more consistently than scissors, glides across the fabric with ease and ergonomically designed to reduce fatiguing my right hand. When sewing, I use my left elbow to help guide the fabrics through the machine and sometimes I have to use my mouth to pull out pins. For hand sewing, I typically pin the needle onto my sleeve to hold it in place, as I thread it and then proceed to sew. These are just a few of my techniques.
How are you making design more inclusive for People with Disabilities?
As I think back on the birth of my interest in fashion, I remember designing my own fashion creations and adapting/tailoring clothes to feel included and accepted…to look like my peers, other classmates or friends, and not just a boy with a disability or ‘handicapped,’ to single me out as different.
So as a creator of fashion, I want to create fashion that bridges the gap between accessibility and style by creating garments that do not point out the obvious of someone’s disability. When shopping or getting dressed, why would we (or anyone for that matter) want to think about what we can’t wear? We just want to look good and feel good. My mission is to create adaptive garments that follow the same aesthetics of other brands with modifications in stretch fabrics, textiles, drape, comfort, bling accents, loops, zippers, unique tailoring, mock looks, adjustable straps/lengths, etc. so that anyone can “slay” by expressing and showcasing their uniqueness without the label.