A Woman Is Turning Medical Devices Into Fashion Must-Haves, and the Result Has Everyone in Awe

When life threw a curveball at young designer Destiny Pinto—a shocking diagnosis—she didn’t let it stop her creativity. Instead, she reimagined her art, making it even more powerful to help other people with disabilities. Her journey is more than just about clothing—it’s about empowerment, inclusivity, and turning challenges into opportunities. Who says fashion can’t be both fabulous and functional?

In 2021, Destiny Pinto was studying design when she was hit with a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis that changed everything. The condition affected her whole body, including her hands, making it hard to do the digital art she loved.

"It affected my entire body. It affected my hands and the way I was traditionally working with art because I would do digital drawings," she confessed. Instead of giving up, Pinto turned to virtual design, teaching herself how to create and 3D model on her laptop—much easier on her hands.

As she adapted, she noticed a huge gap in fashion: there were no stylish options for people with medical devices like compression gloves, hearing aids, and stoma bags. "I decided to start a project in which I take the garments that I wear like compression wear—I wear a lot of compression gloves, ankle compression, things like that," she said, "and I reimagined it. I redesigned it for the fashion that I would wear."

She added, "Around the same time, my best friend also got surgery in which she got an ostomy bag. That kind of inspired the first two pieces — a compression glove for myself and an ostomy bag for her."
So, Pinto set out to change that, creating glam accessories to go with these often-overlooked devices.

Her early days of sharing designs on Instagram didn’t initially attract much attention. "The people I did reach were people with specific health conditions or who have an interest in assistive design. I kept at it and have let that initial sense of purpose drive," Pinto says, reflecting on the persistence that kept her going.

Destiny has spent over a year experimenting with fashion trends while incorporating medical gear, and now her designs have taken off, racking up millions of views online, proving that fashion can be both functional and fabulous for everyone. The response has been "incredible" and "overwhelming, in the best possible way," she says.

This journey has also helped her grow personally. "It's just helped me so much with validating myself with having rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes I tend to belittle my own experience, but I’m so glad that I’ve taken this personal experience and created this art that’s resonated with so many people," she reflects.

It’s so awesome to help others while doing what we love! There are a lot of people out there, like this mom who makes inclusive dolls for kids with disabilities.