As a 4ft woman, Paralympian Ellie Simmonds knows "only too well" how hard it can be to find suitable clothing - a fashion industry flaw she hopes to fix with : her new clothing range for women under 5ft. Simmonds, 29, says clothes shopping as a teen left her "embarrassed" due to the lack of options available for shorter women. Her only option was to shop in the children's section, where the options weren't to her taste as they were designed for young girls.
Simmonds, who was born with a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, speaks to Yahoo UK about her fashion label, her time on Strictly and her body insecurities. Yes, absolutely! As a 4ft woman I know only too well the difficulties that come with finding clothes to fit. I am lucky in that everything I have bought, my mum has always been able to alter for me but to finally have an all-inclusive brand for smaller people who are extra petite or of short stature like myself has been a long time coming.
It is ground-breaking. I have a great support system with the dwarfism community and know they are going to love this. And with 31% of the adult global population measuring under 5ft, the range serves a huge market.
It is more than just a clothing line, it’s a movement for inclusivity. For the first time, there will be a 5ft mannequin in Selfridges, as part of the brand launch, so we are making history which is exciting. I am a fan of the high street shops and, like every woman, I absolutely love dressing up but my mum always .