Tommy Hilfiger is becoming more inclusive, one item of clothing at a time.
The American designer will be launching the first adaptive designer clothing line for children with physical disabilities in conjunction with nonprofit organization Runway of Dreams, which works with the fashion industry to adapt mainstream clothing for the differently-abled community.
The collection, which is available at Tommy.com, features 22 pieces (ranging from $18.50 to $42.50) for boys (sizes 4-20) and girls (sizes 4-18). All of the pieces have modifications to make it easier for children with physical disabilities to get dressed, such as faux buttons and cuff plackets to conceal magnet closures and velcro, and a loop/button system for waist and length adjustability.
According to Fashionista, Runway of Dreams founder Mindy Scheier has trained the Tommy customer service team to "be fully knowledgeable of the new range, including the proper language to use when speaking about this specific demographic."
"Our company has always embraced the diversity of our customers," Gary Sheinbaum, the CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Americas, said in a statement, according to People. "Runway of Dreams helped further our understanding of the differently-abled community’s unique needs, and with this knowledge, we hope that we will be able to better serve them."
Scheier started Runway of Dreams after her 11-year-old son, Oliver (who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy), asked her to buy him a pair of jeans.
"He really felt strongly about being able to wear jeans like the other kids," Scheier tells PeopleStyle. "It didn’t even cross his mind that it wasn’t going to be an option for him. It shouldn’t have to be an option for anybody."
After buying clothing off the rack and modifying them to suit Oliver's needs — replacing buttons and zippers with MagnaReady closures, adding adjustable waistbands, sleeve and pant lengths and creating alternate ways to get in and out of clothing — Scheier began to think about partnering with retailers and designers who would be willing to adapt their clothing for those with disabilities, which led her to Tommy Hilfiger.
"They’re a brand that caters to the family unit and their clothing goes from children all the way up to adults, but also they have a very big affinity for philanthropic movements," Scheier tells The Mighty. "I felt comfortable they were going to understand."
While there's no word yet whether or not these modifications will be applied to adult clothing, Tommy and Runway of Dreams are already working two seasons ahead on future children's collections.
Check out the Tommy Hilfiger x Runway of Dreams collection below. To learn more and to shop, head to Tommy.com.
