FASHION THAT'S IN TOUCH

A Saldanha Bay designer is making a difference by helping visually impaired people have more confidence in their clothing choices

- PIETER VAN ZYL

IT WAS watching her blind uncle trying to decide what to wear every day that sparked the idea. What if he could choose what to wear, and what clothes to buy, knowing what most other people take for granted? This desire to give her uncle some sense of independence was the driving force behind Balini Naidoo-Engelbrecht's innovative Braille clothing line.

At first glance, the items look like any other trendy clothes you might want to add to your wardrobe. But as you run your hands over the fabric, a unique feature becomes apparent.

Each item has Braille screen-printed and smoothly incorporated into the design. It provides key details about the piece, including size, colour and care instructions, enabling visually impaired people to independently manage their wardrobes without help from others.

"My designs incorporate Braille, including readable slogans and style suggestions, directly into the fabric," Balini (33) tells YOU. "It's highly durable and won't come off in the wash." The designer, from Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape, is thrilled she's been able to do something that makes life easier for her uncle and other blind and visually impaired people.

"My uncle has been blind from birth," she says. "I saw his frustration at not being able to choose his own clothes or coordinate his outfits and it made me realise how seemingly small things can make us feel good about ourselves - things we take for granted like matching colours or reading labels on clothes. As small as it is, it's big. I knew I just had to do something about it." She launched her venture, Balini Braille Clothing, in 2018 and it's been going from strength to strength.

This year she won the Woolworths Youth Makers competition, which is aimed at discovering budding entrepreneurs and helping them to elevate their businesses. Thanks to the partnership, Balini's garments are now available at some Woolworths stores.