Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities
Mindy Scheier is the founder of the Runway of Dreams Foundation. Prior to launching the nonprofit, Mindy spent over 20 years working in fashion as a key member of the design team for the INC collection and stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
thinking about what I'm going to wear
the same way about fashion,
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
crazy-hair spirits together.
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
more challenging than most.
that was placed on his face.
the very thing that I adore --
of his shortcomings.
when he started school,
was a constant reminder
to wear sweatpants every day:
he would wear proper pants.
the button and zipper,
to the men's room,
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
than I ever imagined.
and said very definitively
like everybody else gets to wear.
to class with him
I was telling my eight-year-old
what he wanted to wear.
my own favorite pants,
up and down on his own.
of the bottom of his pants
peel and stick, mind you --
my arts and crafts project,
with his head held so high.
to the bathroom on his own;
into the world of adaptive clothing.
designed for people with disabilities,
with dressing themselves.
fashion component.
I've known this forever,
have a name for it.
of wearing the clothing,
to how you feel about yourself.
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
"Mind What You Wear:
of what you're wearing,
those perfect-fitting jeans.
when you put on that power suit,
Oliver felt so isolated
what he wanted to wear.
experience clothing challenges,
that may not be as confident,
wearing those jeans,
do something about that.
called Runway of Dreams.
the fashion industry
to mainstream clothing
that has never been served.
year of research.
I went to hospitals.
on the street who were in wheelchairs
going to make a difference,
the clothing challenges
as I possibly could.
who has cerebral palsy.
to wear jeans on campus,
her left forearm and her hand.
her daughter's difference magnified
professionally tailored.
and money she spent?
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
seen some unfathomable things,
was the most heart-stopping.
and a lifting machine
for over two hours.
a change in the industry,
how to make these clothes modified.
I gathered over that past year,
actually three categories
were a challenge for almost everybody.
with a more manageable technology:
able to wear jeans on campus,
different-shaped bodies.
a shirt right off the rack
the clothing on and off the body,
of over your head.
off his dressing process
ripped them apart,
until I felt I had great modifications.
going to make a difference,
to educate the industry
that the industry heard me.
with the most amazing,
adaptive collection.
what you're going to wear,
are going to break down over time.
devastating part for me.
that I cannot control
industry to look up.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mindy Scheier - Fashion designerMindy Scheier is the founder of the Runway of Dreams Foundation. Prior to launching the nonprofit, Mindy spent over 20 years working in fashion as a key member of the design team for the INC collection and stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Why you should listen
Mindy Scheier's career path took a new direction when her son Oliver, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy that causes physical disabilities, wanted to wear jeans to school like his friends. She used her background in design to adapt a pair that not only met his needs but increased his confidence. She soon realized that millions of people around the globe were also struggling to access fashionable clothing and went on to conduct extensive research and focus groups with people of all abilities to better understand the challenges faced by the community. She used her experience in fashion to develop modifications -- including magnetic closures, adjustability of waistbands, pant and sleeve lengths and alternative ways to get in and out of the clothing -- to meet a wide variety of needs within the differently-abled community. After pounding the fashion pavement, Runway of Dreams collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger on the first ever-mainstream adaptive clothing line for kids in Spring 2016.
Scheier's work with Runway of Dreams Foundation expands beyond adaptive clothing. Founded on the basis that clothing is a basic human need, the Runway of Dreams Foundation develops, delivers and supports initiatives to broaden the reach of mainstream adaptive clothing and promote the differently-abled community in the fashion industry. Through adaptive clothing donations, employment opportunity initiatives, adaptive design workshops, awareness building campaigns and scholarships programs, the Runway of Dreams Foundation is empowering people with disabilities with opportunity, confidence, independence and style. Envisioning a world where fashion is mainstream and accessible for all, Scheier continues to break down barriers and challenge industry norms.
Mindy Scheier | Speaker | TED.com