The Mobility Aid That Earned Its Place on the London Fashion Week Runway: Sixth Sense Steps Out
The sixth sense on a bed of the design during the fashion show.
Fashion is how many of us tell the world who we are, and assistive technology has rarely been invited into that conversation. Too often, the people who rely on it are asked to choose between something that works and something they would actually want to wear.
This September, we challenged that choice on one of the world's most visible stages. Hope Tech was excited to be part of the BIG Fashion Show by Samanta Bullock and Bullock Inclusion Global, a showcase of adaptive and inclusive design at London Fashion Week 2026.
A model posing during the fashion show
Why a mobility aid belongs on a runway.
At Hope Tech, we've built Sixth Sense, a wearable navigation device co-designed with blind people and people living with visual impairments. It combines technology, accessibility and thoughtful design to support everyday mobility, from the daily commute to a trip across an unfamiliar city.
Function always comes first. A device that looks good but doesn't get you where you need to go isn't worth wearing. But function alone doesn't make someone want to use a product every day. Inclusive design research has long shown that when assistive devices look clinical or draw unwanted attention, people are less likely to adopt them. It is why the design evolved from an early jacket-inspired concept into the sleek, understated neckwear it is today.
“Sixth Sense was never about creating another device that people simply had to live with. We wanted to create something people would choose to wear. Seeing it on a London Fashion Week runway was a powerful reminder that assistive technology can be functional, desirable and part of how we express ourselves.”
Brian Mwenda, CEO, Hope Tech
Darryl, Brian, and Laura speaking during the fashion show
A runway makes the argument impossible to ignore: assistive technology can be desirable, and the people who use it deserve products they are proud to wear.
That message was brought to life by the person wearing Sixth Sense on the runway: Chris Hunt Skelley MBE, Paralympic judo champion and one of Britain's most accomplished visually impaired athletes. Chris won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and bronze at Paris 2024, and has spoken openly about finding his own ways to navigate life with sight loss.
For Chris, stepping onto the runway was another way of showing that disability and style do not have to exist in separate worlds.
“As someone who has lived with sight loss and spent most of my life around sport, I'm used to thinking about what helps me move through the world with confidence and independence. Wearing Sixth Sense on the runway was a different kind of experience, but it carried the same message: disability shouldn't limit how you show up, express yourself or see yourself.”
Chris Hunt Skelley MBE, Paralympic Judo Champion
Chris striking a pose during the fashion show
We were proud to bring that mission to the runway alongside our partner and designer Vectorise Art. Darryl Bedford is an artist and educator who creates intricate sculptural pieces through origami and kirigami, the arts of folding and cutting paper. His forms are inspired by sound waves and the spiral of the inner ear, drawing on his experience teaching at a school for Deaf students.
Speaking during the showcase, Darryl mentioned
“For me, the collaboration was about finding a visual language that connected technology, movement and human experience. Sixth Sense is designed to help people navigate the world, while my work explores sound, form and perception. Bringing those ideas together on the runway showed what can happen when different approaches to inclusion meet.”
Darryl Bedford, Artist, Educator and Founder, Vectorise Art
Darryl and Chris having a chat backstage just before the fashion show
Presented together, his work and Sixth Sense carried one shared message: guidance, not obstruction.
This moment has been a long time coming. Hope Tech was part of the very first cohort of Innovate Now, Africa's first assistive technology accelerator, established by the Global Disability Innovation Hub under the AT2030 programme. Innovate Now gave us mentorship, expert guidance and the chance to test and refine our product directly with disabled people.
Since then, Hope Tech has grown across continents, with a presence in the UK and Austria and Senses Hub in Nairobi. In September 2025, we launched Sixth Sense at the Royal Academy of Engineering after almost a decade of building, testing and learning with the community. A year later, the same device took to the runway at London Fashion Week. Sixth Sense is now in the hands of our first users. Want to be one of them, or know when it reaches your area?
Join the waitlist
Know someone who is blind or living with a visual impairment? Pass it on.
Thank you to Samanta Bullock for having us be part of something this special, and for championing a fashion industry where everyone belongs.
