Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities
Mindy Scheier: Cómo la ropa adaptable empodera a las personas con discapacidad
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
pensando qué voy a usar
sobre la moda, pero apuesto
the same way about fashion,
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
o un par de jeans que los transforman...
crazy-hair spirits together.
almas hermanadas en la locura.
desgarradoramente irónica.
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
con una rara forma de distrofia muscular,
more challenging than most.
más desafiante que la mayoría.
las piernas para mayor estabilidad.
that was placed on his face.
que colocaban en su cara.
the very thing that I adore --
of his shortcomings.
de sus defectos.
when he started school,
cuando comenzó la escuela,
was a constant reminder
fue un recordatorio constante
to wear sweatpants every day:
pantalones deportivos todos los días:
he would wear proper pants.
usaba pantalones adecuados.
the button and zipper,
cerrar el botón y la cremallera,
to the men's room,
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
no hay nada que no haya visto antes".
than I ever imagined.
de lo que nunca imaginé.
and said very definitively
y dijo con determinación
like everybody else gets to wear.
como todos los demás.
to class with him
al colegio con él
I was telling my eight-year-old
a mi hijo de ocho años
what he wanted to wear.
my own favorite pants,
mis pantalones favoritos,
de lo que estoy hablando?
up and down on his own.
quitarlo por su cuenta.
of the bottom of his pants
parte inferior de sus pantalones
peel and stick, mind you --
my arts and crafts project,
mi proyecto de manualidades,
with his head held so high.
to the bathroom on his own;
into the world of adaptive clothing.
en el mundo de la ropa adaptable.
designed for people with disabilities,
diseñada para personas con discapacidad,
with dressing themselves.
por vestirse por sí mismo.
fashion component.
el estado de ánimo,
I've known this forever,
lo supe desde siempre,
have a name for it.
tienen un nombre para eso.
of wearing the clothing,
to how you feel about yourself.
en cómo uno se siente consigo mismo.
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
llamada Karen J. Pine.
"Mind What You Wear:
"Cuidado con lo que llevas puesto:
of what you're wearing,
de lo que está usando,
como una estrella de rock
those perfect-fitting jeans.
when you put on that power suit,
al ponerse ese traje de poder,
Oliver felt so isolated
Oliver se sentía tan aislado
what he wanted to wear.
todos los días
si me vistiera con discapacidad".
experience clothing challenges,
experimenta desafíos con la ropa,
that may not be as confident,
que puede no sentirse tan segura,
wearing those jeans,
a la escuela con esos jeans,
do something about that.
hacer algo al respecto.
called Runway of Dreams.
llamado Runway of Dreams.
the fashion industry
la industria de la moda
to mainstream clothing
a la ropa corriente
that has never been served.
que nunca recibió atención.
year of research.
I went to hospitals.
on the street who were in wheelchairs
que estaban en sillas de ruedas
going to make a difference,
marcar una diferencia,
the clothing challenges
los desafíos de la ropa
as I possibly could.
como sea posible.
who has cerebral palsy.
con parálisis cerebral.
to wear jeans on campus,
usar jeans en el campus,
de primer año".
her left forearm and her hand.
y el antebrazo izquierdo.
her daughter's difference magnified
de su hija magnificada
professionally tailored.
de manga larga a medida profesionalmente.
and money she spent?
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
de pasar tiempo con Eric LeGrand,
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
paralizado durante un tackle en 2010.
seen some unfathomable things,
algunas cosas insondables,
was the most heart-stopping.
fue la más conmovedora.
and a lifting machine
y una máquina de elevación
for over two hours.
durante más de dos horas.
a change in the industry,
un cambio en la industria,
how to make these clothes modified.
estas prendas.
I gathered over that past year,
reunida durante el año anterior,
actually three categories
en realidad, tres categorías
en todos los ámbitos.
were a challenge for almost everybody.
eran un desafío para casi todos.
with a more manageable technology:
por una tecnología más manejable:
able to wear jeans on campus,
campus a nuestro estudiante de Harvard,
different-shaped bodies.
cuerpos de formas diferentes.
a shirt right off the rack
una camisa directamente del estante
the clothing on and off the body,
de poner y quitar la ropa,
of over your head.
por encima de la cabeza.
de pasar los brazos primero.
off his dressing process
en su proceso de vestir
ripped them apart,
y la destrocé,
until I felt I had great modifications.
sentí que tenía grandes modificaciones.
para las grandes ligas:
going to make a difference,
marcar una diferencia,
to educate the industry
educar a la industria
that the industry heard me.
que la industria me escuchó.
with the most amazing,
con las marcas más increíbles,
adaptive collection.
de uso corriente.
what you're going to wear,
más genial que hay.
are going to break down over time.
se van a deteriorar con el tiempo.
devastating part for me.
más devastadora para mí.
that I cannot control
que no puedo controlar
industry to look up.
de la moda que alce la mirada.
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