In general you might think, “There’s clothes for everyone.” Stores provide us with different sizes, styles, and so forth. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean clothes for every single person actually exists. Growing up with a disability, I learned that clothes wouldn’t fit my body perfectly. Some clothes would be too difficult to put on or take off. Other’s would be too big or too long. Shopping for clothes that not only fit me, but kept up with the latest fashion seemed nearly impossible. In fact, as a 20 year old woman, I can still say that I have a rather difficult time.
However, I came across an organization that is not only going to change the lives of disabled youths, but change the lives of the disabled community as a whole.
Runway of Dreams is an organization that works on creating clothes for the differently-abled community. Their mission, which is found on their website, states that “Runway of Dreams works to integrate wearable technology and design modifications into clothing, making it adaptive and wearable for all.”.
To stand true to their mission, Runway of Dreams follows three steps. The first, is research. This step involves them listening to multiple voices from the differently-abled community to see which challenges are currently affecting function and fashion. The next step is developing, which is based off of surveys and focus groups. Last, but certainly not least, is the clothes actually being produced. In order for this step to happen, Runway of Dreams teams up with top brands.
A top brand that Runway of Dreams has teamed up with recently is Tommy Hilfiger. Founder of the organization, Mindy Scheier, was lead to Tommy Hilfiger after she began to develop the adaptive clothing. According to The Mighty, Scheire felt that they were a brand that catered to the family unit. Scheire believed they would understand her purpose for this clothing line, which was inspired by her son, Oliver, who has muscular dystrophy.
In the month of February, Tommy Hilfiger and Runway Of Dreams released their spring clothing line. This month, the two have teamed up again to release back to school clothing. Both clothing lines focus on replacing zippers with a special magnet called “MagnaReady” as well as including adjustable waistbands and altered seams. The Mighty also mentions that the collection “experiments with openings on the side and in the back”.
What makes this line even greater is that it’s modeled by children with disabilities. Scheire told The Mighty that using a variety of disabled models shows “the vast range of disabilities and the need for adaptive clothing throughout.”. On top of that, children with disabilities will get to see themselves be represented through this clothing line. They’ll get to look at a model and think “Hey, they’re just like me!”.
Though both recent collections are focused on children, adult collections are in the making! In Runway of Dreams’s Mini-Doc, various adult models speak out about the clothing that will come out of the organization. While talking about the clothes, one adult says “I really wish that when I go into a room, people will look at me and think 'Wow, she’s dressed really beautifully.' Now I believe it will happen in my life time.”.
Tommy Hilfiger will definitely not be the only store that Runway Of Dreams will team up with. Mindy Scheire looks to partner up with other fashion brands, not only to expand the clothing-line, but to also create clothes that would fit every budget.
Mindy Scheire, if you somehow end up reading this, know that you’re personally one of my heroes. Thank you for realizing that inclusion of the differently-abled community is needed in the fashion and clothing world. In your Mini-Doc you say, “Adaptive clothing will absolutely be that next department that we are gonna see in our stores, in our society as something that becomes very much a mainstream notion. I won’t stop till it happens”. I believe you are right, Mindy and I can’t wait to see those departments appear.
