A woman from Porthcawl who recently appeared on BBC’s Dragons' Den believes that having dyspraxia has been her own superpower when it comes to business success. Moray Luke is a fashion designer who launched an eco-friendly handbag brand from her bedroom just 18 months ago, and has since been going from strength to strength.
Sadly, none of the Dragons opted to invest on the episode aired in February. Steven Bartlett praised Moray on her 'beautiful' handbags but said that she wasn't at a stage where an investment deal would be 'helpful'.
Moray’s dyspraxia is caused by cerebellitis, a rare brain inflammation, and she is an ambassador for The Brain Charity. Her goal is now to shine a light on hidden disabilities, as she says that being neurodivergent has actually helped to inspire her ideas rather than hold her back.
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Moray, 26, was diagnosed with dyspraxia after a bad bout of chicken pox when she was eight. This was what caused the lining of her brain to become inflamed, and she was hospitalised for six months, having to learn how to walk again.
For Moray, her dyspraxia causes problems with her vertigo and balance, meaning she struggles with tasks like taking escalators, tying her shoelaces and reading words or numbers written on graph paper and also causes her panic attacks, heightened sensory perception and visual distortions. At aged 16 her teachers told her that she “shouldn’t bother” applying for art school.
But Moray, who has a hundreds-strong waiting list for her sustainable handbag line, said: “The fashion world was an escape for me. As a child recovering from brain injury, I daydreamed because people weren’t taking me seriously and I felt I didn’t fit into the ‘normal’ world.”
But while Moray feels she has had to mask her invisible disability to fit into a neurotypical world, she says it has also given her unique attributes which have helped her excel in the fashion industry. The designer also recently held a show at Paris Fashion Week and released three collections.
She said: “If I woke up tomorrow without a disability, I would be like everyone else and I wouldn’t want that. As a neurodivergent adult my disability means I have better ideas and think outside the box – it’s certainly been a strength for having my own fashion business.
“From a young age I became skilled at learning how to read people and I’ve had to learn how to pitch, convey my ideas and be charming and dynamic, because I couldn’t get things down on paper. I’m seen as an innovator, and it’s not because I’m necessarily naturally that way, it’s because I grew up in a system which was about ticking boxes, and I wasn’t able to follow normal rules or fit in.”
Moray’s environmentally-friendly handbags were influenced by her favourite childhood tale The Little Mermaid and are made from waste fish leather from the £618 million Scottish salmon industry. This provides a more durable and sustainable alternative to the exotic leathers used by other fashion brands such as snakeskin.
The bags are also made with soft curved edges and tactile, stroke-able textures, something that is useful for neurodivergent people who experience sensory overwhelm. As someone who feels she has been misunderstood for all of her adult life due to her dyspraxia, Moray now also wants to use her platform to unmask her invisible disability.
She said: “I want to stop masking and stop feeling like I have to hide my disability. I’m proud to be disabled.
“People say I don’t ‘look’ like the typical face of disability, which is why I think it’s so important to share my story, because what does that even mean? I know many disabled people don’t get to have the opportunities I’ve had, and this is something I’m passionate about changing.
“Fundamentally, it is my dyspraxia which brings the creativity and mindfulness which helped me discover fish leather in the first place, as a sensory and engaging texture which I knew would be perfect for my handbags.
“I wanted to work with The Brain Charity because I never want anyone else to go through the discrimination I did. While my life may look glamorous, I want to show that disabilities are often hidden.”
"Moray Luke handbags are available in boutiques across the UK and online: https://morayluke.com/." You can read more of our stories from Porthcawl here and subscribe to our Bridgend borough weekly newsletter here.
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