Inspiration Found: the Multi-Talented Annmarie O'Connor
If you are searching for inspiration in the Parkinson's space, you won't have to look far to find it. But perhaps no one is as stylish an advocate as fashion editor Annmarie O'Connor...
We chatted recently with the Irish Examiner fashion editor, stylist, podcaster, bestselling author, TEDx speaker and well-known media contributor about her journey with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease.
Meet the Fabulous Annmarie
Fashion, Life & Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD)
You were diagnosed with YOPD in December 2021, can you tell us a little bit about the journey to that moment?
AO: I am a fashion editor, author and a former stylist. My first symptoms appeared in September 2020 during the pandemic. There was a brief respite from lockdown measures, during which I was styling a photoshoot. A few days later, I experienced a frozen shoulder, assuming it was from carrying heavy bags. A slight tremor followed a few days later in my right hand. Then lockdown hit again in October. I saw my GP in March 2021 after measures started to lift again, although they remained tight throughout the year.
Between March and December, I had three MRIs, all of which came up negative. My symptoms were gradually worsening but accelerated from late November to early December. I couldn't open a bag of coffee, brush my teeth, or apply mascara without difficulty. I struggled when typing and my handwriting was cramped. I also dragged my right leg slightly, and my right hand began to curl inwards. On December 16th, I was admitted to the hospital for a series of tests. By 4 p.m. that day, I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's.
How are you feeling now? (The question no Parkinson's person can easily answer)
AO: Overall, I am feeling well. That said, I have peaks and troughs, and can't take an eye off the small child that is PD lest it throw an epic tantrum in the supermarket aisles of my daily life, which it is prone to doing! Keeping tabs on your overall health (PD or not) ensures nothing misses your attention. I calculated that I had spent two days a week this summer attending outpatient, physio, GP and PD-related appointments. As a freelancer, that meant recouping those workdays from my free time. I never realized when I was diagnosed that PD would be this time-consuming.
Fashion and journalism have been your career — how did your diagnosis change your view of the fashion industry in particular?
AO: The fashion industry has been slow in attending to issues of inclusivity and accessibility across garment design, retail, and e-commerce. With one in four European adults having some form of disability, universal design is not simply an add-on; it should be a necessity.
Do you have any favorite inclusive and adaptive lines? Or products?
AO: I like Zalando.com's 'nothing about us without us' approach to launching their 2022 adaptive clothing line. The fashion and lifestyle platform worked with All is for All (AIFA), a creative agency that helps brands be inclusive and accessible for disabled people — and fit models who are wheelchair users or have limb deficiencies. The fashion platform also features an adaptive fashion hub for its 140-piece adaptive line with dedicated collection pages (e.g., 'seated styles') where items are earmarked and sorted by features (e.g., 'no seam').
How have you incorporated adaptive or universal design into your life since being diagnosed?
AO: My solution is to know what doesn't work. I avoid anything that challenges my fine motor skills, like fiddly earring backings, clasps, closures and intricate buttons. As I live alone, I donated some of my favorite wardrobe pieces (in particular, a beautiful but awkward top that buttoned from the back) to make life easier. Since then, I've had to return online purchases where something like ankle straps on shoes proved problematic. Now, I think of how I could function on my worst day before committing to a purchase.
Two years into your journey with Parkinson's, what is the most important thing you have discovered about yourself?
AO: I am resilient, stubborn, and more curious than I ever knew.
Is there anything else you'd like to share? Perhaps advice on how we can absorb just a fraction of your style?
AO: On days that I don't feel well, I stick to outfit formulas. They do the thinking for me so that I can focus on other things. I love coordinating sweater sets with skirts and trousers. I usually buy mine from COS, as I'm tall. They make life infinitely easier (and more comfy), especially when traveling.
To learn more about Annmarie, visit: annmarieoconnor.me you can also subscribe to her substack here:
