Seventy-three adults with severe disabilities took part in a fashion show at the McLean Old Firehouse on Saturday, Aug. 1, modeling one-of-a-kind garments they spent six months designing and sewing themselves.

The show, hosted by nonprofit SPARC at 1440 Chain Bridge Road, capped a project that began in January under art therapist Nicky Sullivan. Participants from SPARC's five Northern Virginia centers in McLean, Reston, Arlington, Alexandria and Leesburg learned quilting, cutting, stitching and machine operation using adaptive sewing equipment, then selected thrift-store clothing and reconstructed each piece into original wearable art. Each center chose several featured pieces for the runway.

"Sewing machines are inherently adaptable," Sullivan told Patch. "All you have to do is press a pedal, and it goes."

Sullivan developed the curriculum from her graduate school experience using sewing as an art therapy tool, where she discovered how accessible the machines could be for people with significant physical challenges. Participants modeled the clothing alongside staff and aides before family members, supporters and Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman (D).

Program director Kat Rader said many participants never believed they could sew. The six-month project changed that, she said, calling it "totally empowering."

SPARC (Specially Adapted Resource Centers) is the only nonprofit in Virginia providing community-integrated day programs for adults with severe and multiple disabilities who require one-on-one support for all daily activities. Founded in 2006 by families who had no other option, the organization serves adults who have aged out of the K-12 special education system and lost access to school-based supports. Its annual cost per participant is $15,896, according to the organization's website, compared to more than $58,264 through a traditional Medicaid-funded provider.

The McLean center operates Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., inside the Old Firehouse. Need-based scholarships are available, and the organization does not turn participants away for inability to pay.

Bierman praised the event as a showcase of "empowerment, accessibility, excitement, creativity, all combined in one."

Families interested in SPARC can call (571) 407-1807, email [email protected] or visit sparcsolutions.org. The organization's next major fundraiser, "An Evening to SPARCle," is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott.