Post-studying Fashion Design & Communication for 3 years at Liverpool John Moores University, I knew I wanted to eventually transition into a job in the Fashion Industry. But after struggling with the lack of facilities provided as a neurodiverse student, I knew I needed to try and change the industry and education system before I began my journey within it. This was when I discovered the MA Fashion Innovation course at LJMU. I wanted to try something new and focus my attention on the lack of knowledge around neurodiversity in creative industries such as fashion, despite neurodiverse individuals making up approximately 20% of the creative workforce. (B. Webb, Vogue Business, 2021). As someone with ADHD, I wanted to prove our worth and challenge a structure that is outdated and overly rigid in the 21st century, especially in creative sectors, champion assumptions, and remodel studio/creative workspaces that hinder the potential of all who work in them, eventually showcasing how nurture of talent looks different for everybody, and the outputs that can be retrieved from working with people’s needs, not against them.

Project: Tailor Made

“Designing spaces where different minds can thrive”.
Tailor Made is a workplace consultancy born from a neuroinclusive fashion research project exploring how creative workspaces, communication styles and everyday environments shape the experiences of neurodivergent people in fashion.

Using transdisciplinary, ethnographic and autoethnographic methods, the project brings together lived experience, participant narratives and scholarly research to examine how sensory overload, unclear expectations and neurotypical workplace norms can affect confidence, creativity and access.

Drawing on interviews with neurodivergent creatives, Tailor Made identifies recurring barriers across studios, classrooms and industry environments. These insights have been translated into a practical two-part toolkit: Knowledge & Training, which builds understanding of cognitive diversity, and Adaptations & Adjustments, which turns that understanding into practical changes to communication, workflow and environment.

The project’s autoethnographic dimension brings a personal perspective, using Jessica’s own experiences to contextualise the research and highlight the emotional realities behind exclusion.

Positioned at the intersection of fashion, psychology and ethnography, Tailor Made advocates for calmer workspaces, clearer communication and more flexible structures, working towards a future where neurodivergent creatives are not only included but genuinely supported to thrive.