“The Grace Dress”
While modeling has historically left out people with disabilities, designers and agencies began increasing representation in the 2000s. They created high-fashion clothing tailored to those with wheelchairs or mobility devices and hired models with visible and invisible differences. St. Louisan Grace Strobel gained national attention when she spoke out about overcoming bullying, spreading kindness and respect, and living with a disability. A year later, she entered the modeling world working for the inclusive brand Alivia, which designed this dress and named it after her.
Object Title and Accession Number
“The Grace Dress.” Designed by Alivia, 2020. 2021-075-0005.
A short dress with spaghetti straps on a mannequin with a color-block design: one side mustard yellow, the other black. Both sides feature a blue and purple floral pattern. The hem is asymmetrical with a ruffled finish.
Back view of a mannequin wearing a short dress with a color-block design. The dress has spaghetti straps and a patchwork pattern, featuring black and yellow panels adorned with blue and purple floral motifs, and a ruffled hem.
Close-up of a garment tag with a label reading "Alivia" and another tag with the numbers "2021.75.5." The fabric features abstract patterns in blue, purple, black, and yellow hues.
Close-up of fabric with a floral pattern. One side is yellow with blue and pink flowers, the other is black with blue and pink flowers. A logo featuring an "a" for alivia is stitched in yellow on the fabric.