Known for designing clothing with a classic American aesthetic, designer Tommy Hilfiger has recently gone the extra mile by creating a line of clothing for disabled children.
The fashion mogul teamed up with Runway of Dreams, a nonprofit organisation that focuses on creating “adaptive clothing” for the differently-abled community.
"I couldn't believe that stylish clothes for kids with special needs didn't exist, and I was going to make it happen." - Mindy Scheier, Runway of Dreams founder
Runway of Dreams founder Mindy Scheier started the organisation out of necessity. The New Jersey-based designer has an 11-year-old son named Oliver who has muscular dystrophy. When he was 8, Oliver had to wear leg braces and Scheier discovered that finding clothes suitable for his braces was extremely challenging. "I couldn't believe that stylish clothes for kids with special needs didn't exist, and I was going to make it happen,” she said in an interview with People.
Scheier started Runway of Dreams in 2013, beginning by altering items from department stores and her son’s closet at home. She soon found that there were three key elements of an adaptive garment:
- barely visible magnetic closures
- alternative ways to get in and out of clothes
- easily adjustable necklines, waistbands, and lengths.
For the collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger, 22 pieces from the brand were altered using Scheier’s modifications. As of now, the collection is only available in the US, but as plans for a fall and holiday collection are in the works, maybe we can expect the brand to distribute to other locations as well. Cross your fingers!
