Styling Diabetes with Natlie Balmain

At the age of 20, Natalie Balmain was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She had a raging thirst and her weight had plummeted to six stones, causing her parents to worry she had anorexia.

She ignored the symptoms for a while because she was in her final year of an English degree at uni, but she couldn’t deny she was poorly forever. The eventual diagnosis resulted in a terrifying nervous breakdown and sent her into a spiral of depression which lasted five years.

But that was 11 years ago and today Natalie, 31, who lives in Manchester’s trendy Castlefield, has learned to cope with her illness. She runs, enjoys a healthy diet with moderate alcohol intake, and leads a full and interesting life like any young woman her age.

And although she lives alone - which can be a concern for people with diabetes in the event of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), particularly at night - her continuous glucose monitor is linked to her mobile and sounds an alarm to wake her up. It also calls her dad who lives 130 miles away.

Frustrated with having to “half undress” or inject through a hole in the seam of her jeans.

But not one to dwell on negatives, the NHS Senior Comms Manager has reinvented herself as a fashion designer creating stylish clothes for people with diabetes featuring conveniently-placed zips, panels and secret pockets for anyone who has to carry an insulin pump or administer injections.

Natalie has to inject up to 10 times a day and was frustrated with having to “half undress” or inject through a hole in the seam of her jeans. So, she decided to design her own collection ease the burden for women who need to inject as part of their managing the condition.

Type 1 Clothing is her first twelve-piece collection featuring classic wardrobe staples such as loungewear, high waist jeans, pencil skirts and glamorous dresses and jumpsuits for the evening. She plans to do a junior denim collection next.

I think people underestimate the power that fashion has on people’s emotional wellbeing.

Launched last year, the collection attracted the attention of the BBC who filmed a short docuvid which attracted over three million viewings. As a result Barack Obama started to follow her on Twitter and Chelsea Clinton, who is an ambassador for diabetes, spread the word to her 1.72 million followers. Natalie was knocked out by the response …and the orders from as far afield as the US and New Zealand.

She says: “When I was diagnosed I was blind-sided and had to take antidepressants for five years. It really got me thinking how I could make something good out of a bad situation. I think people underestimate the power that fashion has on people’s emotional wellbeing. I just wanted to make something that made people feel good.”

And Natalie’s own feelings of wellbeing have been nurtured by the online support she receives from other Type 1s.

“I always struggled to make friends as a child because I didn’t follow the curve,” she says. “But I’m suddenly part of a community of friends who understand and support me and it feels fantastic to have such a global network of people to talk to. I call them my Type 1 family.”

Now all Natalie needs to do is introduce her collection to a fashion-conscious fellow Type 1 diabetic - Prime Minister Theresa May.

Check out Natalie’s designs at www.t1clothing.com

Natalie Balmain has designed a clothing collectionfor women with Type 1 diabetes.

STYLING DIABETES

THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES

• Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night

• Being really thirsty

• Feeling more tired than usual

• Losing weight without trying to

• Genital itching or thrush

• Cuts and wounds take longer to heal

• Blurred vision.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU IGNORE THE SIGNS OF DIABETES?

It’s hard to ignore the signs of Type 1 diabetes because symptoms can often appear quite quickly. But leaving it untreated can lead to serious health problems.

Although the majority of people with Type 1 diabetes are diagnosed in childhood and early adulthood, the symptoms are the same at any age. Adults with Type 1 diabetes may not experience symptoms as quickly as children, which could mean their diagnosis and treatment may be delayed.

Type 2 diabetes can be easier to miss as it develops more slowly, especially in the early stages when it can be harder to spot the symptoms. But untreated diabetes affects many major organs, including your heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Being diagnosed early and controlling your blood sugar levels can help prevent these complications.

Diabetes UK has a wealth of information on both types of diabetes.

Go to: diabetes.org.uk

You can also find out more at NHS Choices: nhs.uk