TV presenter, disability advocate, and influencer Sophie Morgan has partnered with Primark to launch a new seated mannequin designed to represent wheelchair users, marking a significant step forward in representation on the high street.
The collaboration has been 12 months in the making but traces its roots back much further: to 2009, when Sophie first designed a wheelchair display model known as the Mannequal™.
Now, over a decade later, her vision has come to life on a national and international scale. This July, the new seated mannequin—informally dubbed ‘Sophie’—has been rolled out across 20 Primark stores in nine markets, including key UK cities such as London (Oxford Street), Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. The rollout will expand further in the months ahead, in line with Primark’s commitment to increasing accessibility and representation across its retail spaces.
The seated mannequin joins a broader range of inclusive visual merchandising already present in-store, including mannequins with fuller figures and a diverse array of skin tones in lingerie and nightwear displays. It also helps spotlight Primark’s adaptive clothing collection—the first permanent high street range for people with disabilities—highlighting garments designed with both fashion and function in mind.
Sophie approached Primark with the concept as part of her long-standing mission to change how disabled bodies are seen in the fashion world. Her involvement went far beyond a symbolic partnership—she played an active role throughout the entire design process. Working closely with Primark’s Visual Merchandising teams, Sophie provided detailed mood boards, shared accurate body dimensions, reviewed 3D prototypes and even visited the mannequin production facility to oversee the final stages.
The result is more than a display fixture—it’s a statement. The ‘Sophie’ mannequin not only reflects the realities of a diverse customer base, but also sparks conversations around visibility, access and style for all. Its introduction is part of Primark’s broader pledge to become a more inclusive place to work and shop, and to better reflect the communities it serves.
For Sophie, this is a landmark moment in a journey that began with frustration at the lack of authentic representation in retail environments. Now, with one of the UK’s biggest retailers backing her vision, the future of inclusive fashion is no longer a niche ambition—it’s becoming the new normal.
You can follow Sophie Morgan on Insta: @SophieLMorg
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