Artist Kimberley launches clothing line in collaboration with UK fashion retailer Warehouse
Talented artist Kimberley Burrows, who is 33, has teamed up with Warehouse to launch an exclusive clothing line based on her designs. Her Warehouse collection includes tops, trousers and dresses.
Kimberley was born with a visual impairment due to congenital cataracts; at 28, she lost most of her remaining vision due to double retinal detachment.
She adjusted her technique, as her sight deteriorated, to continue to make art through her sense of touch and her memory of colour to create expressionist pieces. She’s studying for a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art in London.
RNIB has helped Kimberley to grow in confidence and continues to provide her with useful advice to support her on her path to becoming a freelance artist.
Working with Warehouse
“In September 2022, I launched a collection with Warehouse that features a range of my designs after months of work. They had discovered me on Instagram and reached out asking if I’d like to work with them. As a disabled artist, there are barriers, so to have Warehouse collaborate with me gives me credibility and I am genuinely grateful for that.”
Growing in confidence and creativity with RNIB
“RNIB helped me massively as a young person, in 2013 I became a campaigner with RNIB and worked on several campaigns related to young visually impaired people, accessibility and disability hate crime. They equipped me with a lot of useful skills and the confidence to speak on things that mattered to me.
“In 2014 I won an art competition with RNIB where I created a series of illustrations for RNIB Insight Magazine. It helped build my confidence and self-assuredness that I could achieve as a visually impaired artist.”
Getting financial advice from RNIB
“Now that I’m becoming a freelance artist, I’ve received advice from RNIB Benefits Team on how that will impact my income as a disabled person and what help I may be entitled. For instance, I didn’t know about Blind Person’s Allowance until I spoke with them. Things like that that I otherwise wouldn’t know about is why RNIB Helpline is such a great resource to have access to. These conversations have given me such peace of mind and has been so beneficial to me.”
