Photo credit: Nicole Saunders Photography
A quick note before we start
This is me sharing something I’m building in real time — and I’m sharing it here because you’re part of the Hues community.
Also, it’s Hues’ third birthday. Three years of learning, adapting, making mistakes, and keeping going — thank you for being here.
I’m in the early concept stage of The Hues Project: a community (and eventually a curated digital marketplace) that helps people discover and support product-based brands led by disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent founders (and allies).
It’s not launched. It’s not polished. But it’s something I care about deeply.
Why I’m building this (and how it connects to Hues)
Hues Clothing exists because comfort and inclusion matter. Sensory needs are real, and clothing can make a huge difference to how a child feels in their body.
The Hues Project is an extension of that same belief — that we can build products, businesses, and communities that work with real bodies and real lives.
I’m building it straight out of my own frustrations as a product-based founder: I want to get out and meet customers where they are, but my body doesn’t always allow it.
And I know I’m not the only one.
The problem I keep seeing
A lot of traditional routes to market for small product businesses rely on being physically present:
- markets and pop-ups
- trade shows
- networking events
- “show up” culture
Those routes can be brilliant — but they can also be expensive, physically demanding, and inaccessible, especially when health and capacity fluctuate.
So I started asking a different question:
What would a calmer, digital-first route to market look like — designed with accessibility in mind?
What I mean by “digital-first”
Digital-first doesn’t mean posting constantly or chasing trends.
It means building something that can keep working even when a founder can’t be everywhere at once.
It might look like:
- shared visibility between small brands
- practical resources that save time and energy
- collaboration that feels fair and doable
- a place for customers to discover brands they’d genuinely love
So what is The Hues Project?
Right now, it’s a concept I’m exploring.
The long-term vision is:
- A community where product-based founders can share what actually helps (especially when capacity fluctuates)
- A curated digital marketplace (eventually) that makes it easier for customers to discover and support brands led by disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent founders.
If you’re reading this as a customer: the goal is simple — to make it easier to find thoughtful, values-led products from founders who are often building under extra constraints.
How you can be involved (even at concept stage)
If you’re part of the Hues community, you can help shape this in a few easy ways:
-
Tell me what you’d want from a curated marketplace
- What would make it easier to discover brands you’d love?
- What would make you trust the curation?
- Share brands you already loveIf you know a brilliant product-based business led by a disabled, chronically ill, or neurodivergent founder, I’d love to hear about them.
-
Reply with what matters to you when you choose to support small businesses, what makes the biggest difference?
- clear values?
- accessibility?
- quality?
- story?
- price?
You can email me via the contact form on the Hues Clothing website.
A thank you
If you’ve ever bought from Hues, shared a post, or simply cheered us on — thank you. You’ve helped keep this little business going.
The Hues Project is still early, but the intention is clear: build a calmer, more accessible way for small product brands to grow — and for customers to find them.
— Elizabeth