People With Disabilities Model For Big Brands In New York Fashion Week [Video]

• The Runway of Dreams Foundation pushed through with the New York Fashion Week (NYFW) event this year despite the pandemic.
• But they have adapted a new concept and format showcasing people with special abilities from all around the world, model big brands.
• They modeled adaptive, and easy-to-wear clothing lines, from prominent names like Hilfiger!

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It’s all new and more inclusive with New York Fashion Week (NYFW) this time around!

On Monday, more than 25 differently-abled models showcased their talents in modeling as they participated in a virtual fashion show by The Runway of Dreams Foundation. They modeled adaptive shoes and clothes by Zappos, Tommy Hilfiger, Kohl’s, Target, and  Stride Rite!

People from around with various special conditions wearing leg or arm braces, wheelchair, or walkers, get to model for the mentioned brands. Writer Keah Brown, public speaker Brandon Farbstein, activist Grace Strobel, and gold medalist Paralympic athlete Brenna Huckaby, also joined the event.

With the ongoing global pandemic situation, the NYFW has adapted a new format to keep everyone safe. Runway of Dreams founder and CEO, Mindy Scheier, told PEOPLE, they insisted on pushing through with the event despite everything — and it turned out to be a huge success!
“We have been able to touch people from around the world that we haven’t been able to have on our runways and now we can. So a pandemic certainly wasn’t stopping us,” says the 49-year-old CEO.

It was the first time the event featured big designers and companies together on the same stage. The show also featured Rick Allen, the drummer of the band Def Leppard, who lost his left arm in a car accident back in 1984, along with his wife Lauren Monroe. 

Hilfiger, 69, started the show, being the first quell-known designer to make adaptive, and easy-to-wear clothing lines for all ages. “These people have been disregarded for so long and now they have an opportunity to wear something that is cool and wear something that is either stylish or on-trend or of the moment,” he said. “It changes their whole attitude in life because it gives them a feeling of confidence.”

Mindy said her inspiration for making the event a reality was because of her child “who has muscular dystrophy.”

YouTube stars, Shane and Hannah Aylward Burcaw, who just got married, and echo the same feelings, were the emcees of the show.

Shane has spinal muscular atrophy and he admitted it was difficult for him to find clothes that fit.”I have a very unique body because of the disease that I live with,” he said. “Finding clothes is always a struggle. I often have to hop in the children’s section to find clothes.”

Mindy hopes that this event will pave way for this clothing line in the fashion industry to serve people living with different abilities.

Source: PEOPLE