UB-affiliated startup partners with Barbie to celebrate inclusivity

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo’s Cultivator startup program just invested $100,000 in Aille Design, a Buffalo-based braille clothing startup that has partnered with Mattel on a Barbie collection celebrating inclusivity.

The clothing collection includes several pieces of Aille (pronounced “eye”) Design’s fully legible braille beadwork on various ready-to-wear garments.

“The braille ranges from physical descriptions to empowering statements and is designed so that the braille is the focal point of each piece,” explained Alexa Jovanovic, CEO of Aille Design. “We use high-quality Swarovski pearl beads and ensure the braille is easy to read and the garments are both machine washable and stylish.”

Aille Design’s collaboration with Mattel coincided with the July 23 launch of a blind Barbie on the iconic doll’s Fashionistas line.

“Championing inclusivity is not only crucial for the evolution of Barbie, but it’s also pivotal for all kids to feel reflected in and celebrated by the brand,” said Jennifer Gileno, head of licensing, Mattel Canada. “Partnering with Aille Design to showcase the brand’s unique braille beadwork offers inclusive fashion for everyone, something we’re so proud to celebrate.”

The Aille Design collection features Barbie’s original black and white chevron pattern on a slip dress, a black neck scarf and a classic T-shirt in iconic Barbie pink, for both adults and children, each featuring the startup’s signature braille beadwork made with Swarovski pearls.

“When we got the email from Mattel in March 2023 asking us to collaborate, we thought it was spam,” Jovanovic said with a laugh. “This step was exciting and life-changing, not only for our small business but also for so many people with disabilities who are overlooked by the fashion industry.”

Beads provide inspiration for Aille Design

Jovanovic, a native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, said her “aha” moment for Aille Design came while shopping for a jacket. As she was examining one with beads, she recognized the similarity to braille.

“I instantly imagined all of the beads being rearranged to create functional messages in braille that were fully legible and described the item’s color, textile, fit and care content,” she said. “It was an opportunity to create fashion that could increase independence and empower an entire community that’s been completely overlooked and misrepresented.”

She began creating braille fashion for her capstone project as a fashion communication student at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University).

“The blind women I was working with encouraged me to develop the project into a business,” Jovanovic said.

She took their advice to heart and started the e-commerce company in 2020. Initially, it was a side hustle with her husband, Jake Walsh, a 2020 graduate of the UB School of Management. Two years into it, the couple quit their day jobs and made Aille Design their full-time business.

“While Alexa handles the design, the branding and is the face of the company, I take care of the behind-the-scenes work like bookkeeping, legal filings and inventory,” Walsh said.

The company now has a team of sighted and non-sighted individuals who work as fashion stylists, braille readers and disability advocates.

Cultivator program pivotal to success

In July 2023, Jovanovic and Walsh connected with the Cultivator program, which is managed by UB’s Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships team. The program provides mentorship and support to early-stage startup founders in Western New York. Since its inception three years ago, 66 companies have participated in Cultivator, and UB has invested in 28 of those companies with a total of $2.7 million in pre-seed investments made.

Each company that participates in Cultivator is assigned two people to mentor them through the program – a member of the staff and an outside entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR).

Peter Burakowski, senior associate director of startup ventures, served as the staff mentor for Aille Design, and Zack Schneider, founder of local marketing agency FIFTEEN, was the EIR.

“Alexa Jovanovic and Jake Walsh have poured themselves into making fashion more inclusive, and it has been an absolute pleasure to support such a hardworking, creative and committed team through Cultivator,” Burakowski said. “Aille’s collaboration with Barbie is an exciting moment for their business, and I look forward to seeing their continued growth and impact on the blind and visually impaired community.”

Launch of blind Barbie doll

The partnership between Barbie and Aille is stylized as Barbie x Aille Design. Its collection is available at Aille Design’s ecommerce page, and the blind Barbie doll will be available at all Barbie retailers around the world.

To celebrate the launch, Aille Design and Barbie are partnering with three notable low-vision models and disability advocates who are featured in the Barbie x Aille Design campaign:

• Mara Lauren Hutchinson: a legally blind content creator, TV reporter, fashion influencer, disability advocate and mother
• Chelsea Langerud: a visually impaired content creator, writer and recent graduate of Arizona State University
• Lolanta Mamatkazina: a 13-year-old legally blind opera singer and braille reader.

“When I first started Aille Design, people questioned why inclusive fashion was important,” Jovanovic said. “Now, to be launching a joint collection with Barbie and Mattel featuring our signature braille beadwork and creating a campaign highlighting three visually impaired models is monumental for disability representation in fashion. I can’t imagine a better partner to bring our braille fashion to a global audience and help create an authentic change in the fashion industry.”