Tommy Hilfiger Launches Adaptive Collection for Children with Disabilities

A long time member of the fashion industry and mom, Mindy Scheier, has designed adaptive clothing for children with disabilities. Her organization, Runway of Dreams is now bringing adaptive clothing mainstream with a partnership with Tommy Hilfiger. Scheier first had the idea when her 11 year old son, 8 years old at the time, with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, asked her to buy him a pair of jeans. He saw the other kids wearing them and wanted to wear them too. Scheier knew that jeans would be difficult for her son, with the button and zipper presenting challenges and the jeans hindering his ability to wear his leg brace. Scheier got to work looking for adaptive mainstream clothing, but found nothing. She then bought mainstream clothing and altered them herself. Seeing the need for this type of clothing, she organized a focus group to find out what kind of clothing needs the special needs community has as a whole. With that information at-hand, she started to design wearable technology and clothing modifications to allow individuals to self-dress. Scheier knew that the need was so great that she couldn’t take it upon herself. She needed a partnership. This is when she turned to Tommy Hilfiger. The Tommy Hilfiger clothing is all from the mainstream collection with modifications designed by Runway of Dreams. The three main modifications are the replacement of buttons and zippers with magnets, adjustability of clothing, and different ways to get in and out of clothing. This partnership is allowing individuals with special needs not only dress the same as their peers, but also to have the power to dress themselves without assistance. 

Check out the whole clothing line here