If you were a parent whose child asked to wear jeans to school on “Jeans Day,” what would you say? No problem, right? What if that child had a disability that meant he could not put jeans on independently or use the bathroom while wearing jeans? What then? How do you tell a child he can’t dress the way other children do? What do you do as a parent?
If you are fashion designer Mindy Scheier, first your heart breaks, then you become determined that no other child should have to face a similar choice. And you found Runway of Dreams. Runway of Dreams is a nonprofit organization that works with the fashion industry to adapt mainstream clothing for differently-abled individuals.
When I heard about Runway of Dreams, my first thought was, “That’s the best example of the SCAMPER verb ‘adapt’ that I’ve ever heard!” My next thought was, “This could inspire students.” Consider sharing Runway of Dreams with your students. It might be a springboard for several types of projects.
- It could inspire students looking for invention convention ideas, helping them consider other items that could be adapted to meet the needs of individuals with differing physical abilities.
- It could serve as an example for students studying the design process, particularly in its emphasis on meeting particular clients needs by listening to their input.
- Business students who are required to plan marketing strategies or business plans could do one for the organization—or an original organization with a product designed to meet other adapted needs.
I’m sure you can come up with more ideas.
Want a big more inspiration? Recently the organization partnered with designer Tommy Hilfiger to create a line of adapted clothing. It was introduced in a fashion show with models whose needs inspired the clothing. They are beautiful.
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