56 adaptive features to their garments, their designs were desired by a much larger audience. Whether due to disability, motherhood, a demanding job, or simply an active lifestyle, all women need clothes that equip them for anything their day might ask of them. By creating universally designed products that solve the problems women often find when getting dressed, Brakefields is filling a void in the fashion industry. The women’s extensive research has taught them what traditional clothing lacks in order to make dressing independently a reality. It’s the small features on the inside that make a big difference, and on the outside? It’s just a great looking outfit! For some, universal design is a necessity, and for others it’s a desire. But the bottom line is that we all benefit when our clothes are designed with function and not just fashion in mind. Brakefields is excited to offer exactly that in their upcoming collection! Most women will see the line’s feminine, colorful silhouettes as attractive additions to their closets, but there’s a lot more to these designs. The custom prints and fabrics are equally as fashionable as they are functional. Dual access pockets hold insulin supplies or your keys. No closures make dressing with limited mobility a cinch. Soft, stretchy fabrics mean you can chase after your kids at the park, pull on your clothes independently with limited strength, or bike to work without having to change at the office, all while looking great! To Stephanie, colors are like children; she could never pick a favorite. They all make her happy! She has surrounded herself with color, patterns, art, and fashion for as long as she can remember. In her eyes, leopard print is neutral and hot pink is basic. She loves combining her background in Special Education, love of art and design, and desire to hear other’s stories into this brand called Brakefields. And best of all, she gets to work with her daughter every day!
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Stephanie Brakefield and her daughter, May Cayten
t’s funny how the sum of all your experiences come together to create opportunities. Stephanie Hendrix Brakefield (‘81) and her sister, Tiffany Hendrix Willard (‘78) learned to sew before they started kindergarten, making clothes and blankets for their dolls alongside their mom who was making beautiful garments for herself and her two daughters. In high school, Stephanie spent her free time designing and sewing clothes, painting and working with the disabled population. Little did she know that some 40 years later, she would come full circle, and find herself creating a universally designed line of clothes with her daughter that encompasses all three of her teenage passions. A lot happened during those 40 years. She attended Vanderbilt University, and earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Special Education. She
taught in the classroom for six years then turned her attention to her favorite job, raising her four children. A couple of years ago when her youngest daughter, Mary Cayten, suggested they start a brand together, Stephanie was all in, and Brakefields was born! While the two were narrowing down a focus for their line, Mary Cayten was diagnosed with a genetic condition that altered her ability levels, helping them to realize that many items in their closets were not ability inclusive. When the Pandemic hit and sent Mary Cayten back to Nashville to remotely finish her senior year at the University of Tennessee, the two ladies reached out to women all over the world to find out what their closets lacked and what would make dressing easier. With an initial focus on designing for disabilities, Mary Cayten and Stephanie soon realized that by adding
