Celebration not assimilation: Rebirth Garments and its colorful accessible wearables

Sky Cubacub started Rebirth Garments in 2014 with one goal: to make gender affirming clothes more accessible. Since then, Rebirth Garments has been creating clothes including the full spectrum of gender, size and ability. Everything is thought through to make the clothes the best second skin possible, for every individual. The clothes have no tags and can be made with outside seams for people with sensitive skin and/or sensory sensitivities. They’re also fully customizable, with no size standards.

“I understand clothing, especially the foundation garment closest to our skin, to be our second skin. This foundation has the power to change the way we hold ourselves and give us the confidence and strength to feel comfortable in our first skin.” - Sky Cubacub

That’s why on top of being accessible, Rebirth Garments’ clothes are also bold. Full of bright colors, geometric patterns, their cuts show off the body. They highlight the parts society enjoins people to hide. They make those who are told to blend in stand out. All of this is explained by Sky Cubacub in the Radical Visibility Manifesto.

Rebirth Garments’ fashion shows, instead of following the stoic, classical runway style, take the form of celebratory dance parties. The models are all local and of marginalized identities, and the dances are improvised. Sky Cubacub’s goal with Rebirth Garments was also to provide a platform and sense of community for people that have been repeatedly excluded from mainstream fashion.

The founder, Sky Cubacub, is a non-binary queer and disabled Filipinx. On top of running Rebirth Garments, they teach online workshops through the educational division of the brand, Rebirth Warriors. There, they teach no-sew fashion, performance, but also accessibility or entrepreneurship. With the Chicago Public Library, they developed a fashion curriculum: Radical Fit. The fashion DIY videos are accessible for free online.

You can support Rebirth Garments by buying on their online shop or directly donating to the organization. Scroll down below to discover one of Sky Cubacub’s videos and their creations!

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