Meet the Huddersfield fashion designer creating clothes for people with dwarfism

Like many fashion designers starting out in the industry, Mary Russell dreams of a day that the clothing she has created is showcased at London Fashion Week.

“That would be a pinnacle moment,” she says - and it is one that could also pave the way to a more inclusive shopping experience for people with dwarfism.

Huddersfield-born Mary has achondroplasia, a condition that causes restricted growth. At 4ft1, she knows first-hand the struggle that little people face when buying clothes and has decided to take matters into her own hands by becoming a fashion designer for people with dwarfism.

“The fact I took it upon myself to try and design is testament to how shocking it is that there’s nothing out there for us.

“I had to go and learn it - and don’t get me wrong I’m enjoying it and it’s a wonderful craft to learn - but I did so based on the fact that I was really sick and fed up of having to pay full price for garments all the time only to have half of them removed in alterations. That’s not cost effective and it’s certainly not fair.”

She is speaking ahead of the airing of new television series Little Britons, which explores the ordinary lives of little people across the country.

Narrated by actor and television presenter Warwick Davis, the first episode of the documentary programme, made for Channel 5 by Nine Lives Media production company, features Mary as she prepares to launch her own fashion range.

She seeks words of wisdom from British fashion commentator and diversity champion Caryn Franklin and with support from other women in the dwarfism community, starts a campaign called My Silhouette Matters Too, taking it to the streets of Sheffield to combat prejudice and call for inclusivity.

“The fashion world is a very big world,” she says. “It’s known for being quite snooty and not inclusive. I’m hoping to be a contender. A serious contender as well, not a gimmick. These are real, real designs that I’m creating, with real women in mind.”

Mary, who hopes the show will lead to collaborations with designers and manufacturers and would like to get involved in more documentaries around fashion and style, turned her thoughts to fashion design nearly four years ago whilst working as a model, two years after appearing on Channel 4 show The Undateables.

“I loved modelling and travelled the world with it - I walked in a Japan fashion show, I worked in Paris and did lots nationally. When I walked for a brand that catered for people with dwarfism, the clothing wasn’t an issue.

“But outside of that, there was a lot of pins that needed to be put in place, things were long, things didn’t fit. I rocked it because that’s my personality but it got me thinking what if I tried to understand design a bit deeper, how would I be able to benefit myself and then take that out to the wider community.”

Mary began training in fashion design and appeared on a reality show in Los Angeles, showcasing the skills and talents of people with dwarfism. On the back of that, she was approached for Little Britons.

“A lot of people say to me that because of what I’ve done in my life, it’s opened the gates for them and given them confidence,” she says. “Somebody has to be the guinea pig, somebody has to be the warrior and maybe that’s what my role is. Maybe I’m the one that opens the gates. I seem to be a person that starts things and it gives the younger generation the confidence to then go forward.”

Little Britons is on Channel 5 on April 1 at 10pm.