Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities
Mindy Scheier: 可适应性服装如何带给残疾人力量
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,
或一条牛仔裤,它改变了你——
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
(美国著名服装设计师)。
crazy-hair spirits together.
都有疯狂发型的灵魂。
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
就患有罕见的肌肉萎缩症,
more challenging than most.
比多数人更有挑战性。
that was placed on his face.
the very thing that I adore --
这件我极其喜爱的事——
of his shortcomings.
when he started school,
was a constant reminder
都在提醒他,
to wear sweatpants every day:
是让他每天穿运动裤:
he would wear proper pants.
他会穿得体的西裤。
the button and zipper,
to the men's room,
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
好像我以前没见过一样。”
than I ever imagined.
and said very definitively
很确定地说,
like everybody else gets to wear.
to class with him
和他一起去学校,
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 --
得扯下来又贴上去,
my arts and crafts project,
展示给 Oliver 时,
with his head held so high.
to the bathroom on his own;
into the world of adaptive clothing.
服装领域的初次尝试。
designed for people with disabilities,
with dressing themselves.
有困难的人设计的服装。
fashion component.
I've known this forever,
我一直都知道这种感觉,
have a name for it.
有个特定术语,
of wearing the clothing,
to how you feel about yourself.
对自己的感觉直接相关。
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
叫 Karen J. Pine。
"Mind What You Wear:
名为《注意你的穿着:
of what you're wearing,
those perfect-fitting jeans.
觉得自己像摇滚明星。
when you put on that power suit,
权力套装时感到战无不胜,
Oliver felt so isolated
当 Oliver 无法穿上
what he wanted to wear.
experience clothing challenges,
在经历穿衣困难,
that may not be as confident,
他们无法得到应有的自信,
wearing those jeans,
那条牛仔裤去学校,
do something about that.
我可以就此做点什么。
called Runway of Dreams.
叫做“梦想跑道”。
the fashion industry
to mainstream clothing
that has never been served.
year of research.
为期一整年的研究。
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.
他患有脑瘫,
“你能想象吗?
to wear jeans on campus,
能在学校穿牛仔裤,
her left forearm and her hand.
her daughter's difference magnified
女儿的与众不同
professionally tailored.
进行了非常专业地剪裁,
and money she spent?
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
能与 Eric LeGrand 交谈,
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
2010 年在断球过程中导致瘫痪。
seen some unfathomable things,
很多难以料想的事情,
was the most heart-stopping.
and a lifting machine
需要用到两个助手
for over two hours.
进行了两个多小时。
a change in the industry,
在行业里做出些改变,
how to make these clothes modified.
如何改良这些服装的问题。
I gathered over that past year,
去年收集到的所有信息,
actually three categories
实际总共有三类因素
were a challenge for almost everybody.
对所有人来说都是个麻烦。
with a more manageable technology:
替换了它们:
able to wear jeans on campus,
能够穿牛仔裤去学校,
different-shaped bodies.
确实是个问题。
a shirt right off the rack
直接穿上现成的衣服,
the clothing on and off the body,
of over your head.
先把胳膊穿进衣服。
off his dressing process
ripped them apart,
把它们拆开,
until I felt I had great modifications.
直到得到了令我满意的改良。
迎接更大的挑战:
going to make a difference,
为大众做出点什么,
to educate the industry
that the industry heard me.
时尚产业听到了我的声音。
with the most amazing,
adaptive collection.
创建了时尚界的新纪元。
what you're going to wear,
are going to break down over time.
他的肌肉会越来越萎缩。
devastating part for me.
他的情况不断恶化。
that I cannot control
那些我无法控制的事
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