A PRODUCT design student has created a bodysuit that aims to make it easier for women affected by type 1 diabetes to wear an insulin pump with any type of clothing.
Final year student at Edinburgh Napier University, Katarzyna Pohorecka has developed ‘Mude’.
Mude is a range of six nude-coloured bodysuits that contain a specially designed pouch that discreetly holds an insulin pump.
The work, which is being exhibited this week as part of the University’s online Degree Show, has been created after a gap in the market was identified for a product that allowed female insulin pump users to wear their pump under their clothes.
The inclusive range, which has been completely designed and sewn by Kat as part of her fourth year studies at Edinburgh Napier, comes in six different colours and in sizes.
Kat was inspired to create the range of bodysuits because of her best friend of 10 years, Weronika Dyczek, who suffers from type 1 diabetes.
Weronika recently got an insulin pump and although it has helped her a lot it meant that she struggled to find things that she could comfortably wear.
After speaking to other women Kat discovered that many people also struggled with this problem.
Kat says: “I would like to sell it online, on my own website, but it is still a matter of figuring it out.
“I would love it to be recommended by NHS, so I am currently working on creating a partnership with diabetes specialists from Western General Edinburgh Hospital.”
Kat said: “My best friend has type 1 diabetes and she’s often remarked to me that she can’t wear certain items of clothing because they are just not compatible with her insulin pump.
“I started researching this area and I found that despite there being some accessories such as belts and bumbags to help with wearing an insulin pump, there was nothing specifically made with comfort and discreetness in mind.
“Mude – which takes its names from the word miód which is Polish for honey and nude which reflects the colours I have used – has been designed with these two aspects in mind.
“I wanted to create something that allowed women to wear any item of clothing along with their insulin pump.
“I’ve always been a believer that clothing – and the fashion industry as a whole – should be doing more to make clothing inclusive for all. I have designed the range in six colours and in a variety of sizes as I aim to make it as accessible for as many people as possible.
“Now that my time at Edinburgh Napier has come to an end, I’m really keen to continue pursuing my idea and would love to bring Mude to market, putting it on sale for those affected by type 1 diabetes who feel they could benefit from something like this.
“Design for a social impact has always been incredibly important to me and I’m hopeful of meeting this goal throughout the remainder of the year.”
Kat started researching the design about a year ago, at first she wanted to create the insulin pump but realised that it would take too long to be approved and she wanted to make a difference as soon as possible.
This lead her to pivot from her original idea to the bodysuit which is designed to hold the insulin pump.
Kat said: “I would just like to make a change for the people who struggle with everything that diabetes type 1 entails.”
She hopes her product will be recommended by diabetes UK.
Kat added: “The diabetes UK website is the leading the leading charity for diabetes in the UK and they very often recommend products for insulin pumps because this, of course, is not the first product on the market.
“But it is the first bodysuit on the market so it is quite a unique product.
“I would just like to get the attention of Diabetes UK.”
For more information and to view this year’s work, visit here.
