Changing Perceptions on Sight Loss in Style
Hello, I’m Emily Davison — a South East London-based journalist, content creator, disability advocate and the founder of Fashioneyesta.
I started Fashioneyesta in 2012 as a way to share my love of fashion, beauty and lifestyle from the perspective of someone who is visually impaired. What began as a personal blog has grown over the years into a platform where I now share accessible travel guides, London days out, fashion, beauty, theatre, sensory experiences, disability commentary and life with my guide dog.
When I was two years old, I was diagnosed with Septo-Optic Dysplasia, a rare congenital pituitary condition that affects around 1 in every 10,000 births. The condition impacts both my sight and my endocrine system, meaning I live with both a visual impairment and chronic illness.
I have lived with my condition all my life. I have only central vision in one eye, alongside nystagmus and other symptoms connected to my sight loss and endocrine condition. Because of this, accessibility has always been part of my everyday life — from navigating public transport and busy spaces to thinking about how I experience fashion, beauty, travel and the world around me.
I began using a long cane in my teens, which gave me more independence and confidence when travelling. In 2012, I was matched with my first guide dog, Unity, who completely changed my life and opened up a new level of freedom for me. After Unity retired, I was later matched with my current guide dog, Rosie, in 2021.
Rosie is a huge part of my life. She is my guide dog, my companion, my confidence-giver and, quite often, a familiar face across my content. Through sharing life with a guide dog, I hope to show both the practical realities and the joy of navigating the world differently.
Fashioneyesta began after years of hearing comments such as, “You don’t look blind,” or, “You’re very well dressed for a blind person.”
Those comments stayed with me because they revealed how many assumptions people still have about sight loss, style and identity. I wanted to challenge the idea that visually impaired people cannot be interested in fashion, beauty or taking pride in their appearance.
The name Fashioneyesta is a playful take on the word “fashionista”, with a nod to the eye I have remaining sight in. From the very beginning, the aim of my blog was to show that disabled people can have their own unique style, confidence and sense of self.
My story has also been featured by the BBC, Channel 4, The Guardian, and Cosmopolitan, to name just a few.
Today, I’ve built a community of over 25,000 followers. I continue to document my life and experiences and was honoured to win an award from the NCTJ for my investigative piece, “How disabled people really feel about the beauty industry.”
I wanted to create a space that was honest, stylish and accessible — a place where I could talk about disability without it being gloomy, and where I could celebrate fashion, beauty, travel and culture through a different lens.
Before working full time in journalism, I spent many years building my experience as a freelance journalist, writing about disability, accessibility, lifestyle, culture, beauty and travel. Journalism has always been one of my biggest passions because it gives me the opportunity to tell stories, ask questions and shine a light on issues that matter.
I later studied with the NCTJ and Ability Today back during Covid, ompleting a Certificate in Foundation Journalism. This helped me develop my skills further and eventually led to me becoming a full-time multimedia journalist studying for a Diploma and Journalism and working as an aprentice with Newsquest London, where I currently work.
Today, I balance my full-time journalism role with my ongoing passion for Fashioneyesta, content creation and disability-led storytelling. Both sides of my work are connected by the same aim: to tell meaningful stories, make overlooked experiences visible and help create a more inclusive media landscape.
Over the years, Fashioneyesta has grown from a blog into a wider platform across my website and social media. I now create content around accessible travel, London experiences, fashion, beauty, theatre, culture, disability representation and sensory-led days out.
On my website and social channels, you’ll find:
My approach is always rooted in lived experience. I love sharing beautiful places and thoughtful recommendations, but I also care deeply about the practical details: how easy somewhere is to navigate, whether staff are helpful, whether information is accessible, how sensory-friendly an experience feels, and whether disabled people are genuinely considered.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with and create content for a range of brands, tourism boards and cultural organisations, including P&G, Baileys, Haleon, Visit Windsor, JW Marriott and the National Theatre.
I have also been featured by major media outlets and was honoured to win an award from the NCTJ for my investigative journalism exploring how disabled people really feel about the beauty industry.
Whether I am writing an article, creating a travel guide, reviewing an experience or producing social content, I am especially interested in how disabled people experience the world — from the products we use to the places we visit and the stories we are included in.
For me, Fashioneyesta has always been about more than just pretty outfits or nice places to visit. It is about representation, access and changing perceptions.
I want to show that disabled people deserve to be included in every space — fashion, beauty, travel, theatre, culture and beyond. I also want to show that accessibility does not have to be an afterthought. It can be thoughtful, creative, stylish and empowering.
My hope is that Fashioneyesta helps people see disability differently. Not as something that limits a person’s ability to enjoy life, but as a perspective that deserves to be heard, valued and included.
Thank you for being here and following along with my journey.
Let’s Work Together
For collaborations, press trips, campaigns, accessibility consultation or content enquiries, please get in touch using the links below.
