Tommy Hilfiger Launches Clothing Collection for Kids With Disabilities

It all started when Mindy Scheier’s son Oliver wanted to wear a pair of jeans. Oliver was born with a form of muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive weakness and a loss of muscle mass. Due to his condition, Oliver had a hard time dressing himself and often wore sweatpants to school. When he turned 8, he asked Scheier if he could swap the sweatpants for the jeans his classmates wore. "Luckily, I spent many years working in the fashion industry as a designer and stylist. This gave me the know-how to transform his clothes using magnets and elastics in place of buttons and zippers," Scheier wrote in an essay on Motto. "As I met other parents, children and adults facing the same and often harder challenges, I saw the very real lack of available options—and how adaptive clothes could have a profound impact on people’s lives."

The challenge inspired Scheier to found Runway of Dreams—a nonprofit organization that collaborates with designers to create stylish clothing modified for people with physical disabilities.

That was in 2013. Now, The Hollywood Reporter reports that Tommy Hilfiger has partnered with Runway of Dreams to launch the first-ever adaptive designer clothing collection for kids. The 22-piece line features everything from jeans and button-downs to dresses, leggings, and shorts. Clothing items range from about $19 to $43, and can be purchased online. While the garments look similar to Hilfiger’s typical fare, they also feature "modified closures, adjustability, and alternate options to get in and out of the garments," according to the designer's website. 

And rest assured, they're not limited edition. According to Fashionista, the company is working on more collections for kids with disabilities. Meanwhile, if you're a customer with questions, Scheier has reportedly trained the Tommy Hilfiger customer service team about how to wear the adjustable clothing—along with the proper language to use when talking with shoppers with disabilities.  

Watch a fashion show featuring items from the Hilfiger-Runway of Dreams collaboration above.

[h/t The Hollywood Reporter]

Main image courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger/Runway of Dreams.