Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities
Mindy Scheier: Kako prilagođena odjeća osnažuje osobe s teškoćama
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
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thinking about what I'm going to wear
i razmišljam što ću odjenuti
the same way about fashion,
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
ili traperice koje vas čine drugačijima --
crazy-hair spirits together.
srodne duše čupavih frizura.
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
s rijetkim oblikom mišićne distrofije,
more challenging than most.
punom izazova.
that was placed on his face.
vidljive na njegovom licu.
the very thing that I adore --
upravo ono što ja obožavam --
ne utječe na inteligenciju.
of his shortcomings.
svojih ograničenja.
when he started school,
njegovim polaskom u školu
was a constant reminder
odijevanja stalno podsjeća
to wear sweatpants every day:
da Oliver svaki dan nosi trenirku:
he would wear proper pants.
the button and zipper,
zakopčati gumb i povući zatvarač,
to the men's room,
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
što već nisam vidjela."
than I ever imagined.
and said very definitively
i odlučno izjavio
like everybody else gets to wear.
kao i svi ostali.
to class with him
I was telling my eight-year-old
svom osmogodišnjaku
what he wanted to wear.
my own favorite pants,
mogu navući traperice,
up and down on his own.
spustiti i opet navući.
of the bottom of his pants
peel and stick, mind you --
my arts and crafts project,
svoj mali krojački projekt,
with his head held so high.
to the bathroom on his own;
into the world of adaptive clothing.
u svijet prilagođene odjeće.
designed for people with disabilities,
za osobe s teškoćama,
with dressing themselves.
u samostalnom odijevanju.
fashion component.
I've known this forever,
svjesna sam toga oduvijek.
have a name for it.
of wearing the clothing,
što smo odjenuli.
to how you feel about yourself.
na to kako se osjećate.
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
iz Velike Britanije
"Mind What You Wear:
"Pazite što ćete odjenuti:
of what you're wearing,
onog što ste odjenuli,
those perfect-fitting jeans.
koje vam savršeno pristaju.
when you put on that power suit,
kada obučete odijelo,
Oliver felt so isolated
what he wanted to wear.
posebne potrebe u odijevanju."
experience clothing challenges,
ima teškoće u odijevanju,
that may not be as confident,
koji se ne osjećaju samouvjereno,
wearing those jeans,
otišao u školu noseći te traperice,
do something about that.
called Runway of Dreams.
"Runway of Dreams". [Staza snova]
the fashion industry
to mainstream clothing
that has never been served.
year of research.
jednogodišnjim istraživanjem.
I went to hospitals.
on the street who were in wheelchairs
u invalidskim kolicima
going to make a difference,
the clothing challenges
teškoće u odijevanju
as I possibly could.
who has cerebral palsy.
s cerebralnom paralizom.
to wear jeans on campus,
her left forearm and her hand.
her daughter's difference magnified
stanje njene kćeri pojačava
professionally tailored.
rukav svake košulje.
and money she spent?
vremena i novaca potrošila?
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
upoznati Erica LeGranda,
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
paraliziranog od udarca na utakmici 2010.
seen some unfathomable things,
mnogo toga neopisivog,
was the most heart-stopping.
and a lifting machine
for over two hours.
preko dva sata.
a change in the industry,
promjene u industriji,
how to make these clothes modified.
I gathered over that past year,
prikupljene tijekom godine dana
actually three categories
were a challenge for almost everybody.
predstavljaju gotovo svima problem.
with a more manageable technology:
mnogo jednostavnijom tehnologijom:
able to wear jeans on campus,
može nositi traperice,
different-shaped bodies.
a shirt right off the rack
i odmah je odjenuti.
the clothing on and off the body,
oblačenja i svlačenja odjeće
of over your head.
navlačenja preko glave.
off his dressing process
u procesu odijevanja
ripped them apart,
until I felt I had great modifications.
sve dok nisam našla pravo rješenje.
going to make a difference,
to educate the industry
da industrija treba znati
that the industry heard me.
da su me poslušali.
with the most amazing,
suradnju s nevjerojatnim,
adaptive collection.
s prilagodljivom kolekcijom.
what you're going to wear,
are going to break down over time.
devastating part for me.
that I cannot control
od stvari koje ne mogu promijeniti,
industry to look up.
da to isto učini.
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