“How do you turn a medical aid into a powerful fashion statement?”
With this question, product designer Nina Van Herck (she/her) and artist Josefien Cornette (they/them) began their collaboration, initiated by Flanders DC. Together, they were selected for the Binômes of 2024, program, presented at FOR THE NOW 2024.
HUMN.AID is a collection of harnesses and accessories designed for people who use an insulin pump, catheter, or similar medical devices. It demonstrates that disability, design, and fashion are not only compatible, but can amplify one another. This project breaks through the norms and reframes disability through pride and power.
HUMN.AID announces a revolution in design and fashion, placing disability at the center of the conversation. Be proud. Be bold. Be extravagant.
Throughout the design process, three artists co-created the collection of fashion accessories: Hey Jude, Viva Sage and Turncoat Studios. Each contributed their own interpretation of the harness, based on the buckles and straps designed by Nina Van Herck. The straps are crafted from vegan mycelium leather, produced by MycaNova.
Mycelium, the root-like structure of fung, naturally grows underground or on decomposing tree trunks. In this case, it is cultivated on molasses. All MycaNova variations contain an exclusive mycelium powder: a 100% animal-free, upcycled, and bio-based material with the highest possible concentration. Their mission is to advance sustainability by using bio-based and upcycled content, locally sourced components, solvent-free materials, and low-carbon ingredients, tailored to diverse design and performance goals.
The fashion accessories are created with the very biological molecule that people with diabetes often struggle with, transforming it into a source of empowerment. Each harness is custom-made for people with medical devices, yet above all, they are colorful, fashionable, and accessible to everyone.
More information about MycaNova.
Nina Van Herck (she/her) is a product designer driven by the ambition to awaken emotions, spark conversations, and bring beauty into everyday life. Her style is timeless with an organic touch, drawing inspiration from nature as her greatest muse. At the heart of Nina’s work lies her instinct to care, a guiding principle that shapes all her designs.
Josefien Cornette (they/them) is an artist and writer with a multidisciplinary practice that explores disability, accessibility, and the body. Their background spans fine arts, art history, feminism, and critical disability studies. Their first book, Een Huis Dat Pijn Heet, was published in 2023 by Mammoet.
HUMN.AID is a collaboration with NoBabes Agency and MycaNova, created together with artists Hey Jude, Viva Sage and Turncoat Studios. Styling was provided by Finne Smets featuring pieces by Nanook Cools and Essentiel Antwerp. Lieven Storme was our make-up artist.
Our models and our experts by experience are Meike De Roest, Simie Ruts and Morgane Hutse.
HUMN.AID was made possible by Flanders DC.