ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mindy Scheier - Fashion designer
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.

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.

More profile about the speaker
Mindy Scheier | Speaker | TED.com
TED@Tommy

Mindy Scheier: How adaptive clothing empowers people with disabilities

Mindy Scheier: Como roupas adaptadas melhoram a vida de pessoas com deficiência

Filmed:
992,756 views

Você tem uma camiseta favorita ou uma calça jeans que lhe transforma e faz você se sentir confiante, sentir-se você mesmo? Isso acontece porque o que você veste afeta o seu humor, sua saúde e a sua autoestima, diz a estilista Mindy Scheier. Inspirada por seu filho, que nasceu com uma doença degenerativa que torna difícil para ele se vestir sozinho e usar roupas com botões e zíperes, Sheier começou a criar roupas que servissem para todos, inclusive naqueles com limitações. Saiba mais como ela mudou a história da indústria da moda ao produzir a primeira coleção de moda básica de roupas adaptadas.
- Fashion designer
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.

00:12
I love fashion.
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Eu amo moda.
00:14
I actually go to bed every night
thinking about what I'm going to wear
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Todas as noites vou dormir
pensando no que vou vestir no outro dia.
00:18
the next day.
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00:20
Clothing transforms me,
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O jeito que estou vestida me transforma,
me define e me deixa confiante.
00:23
defines me,
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00:24
gives me confidence.
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00:26
You may not feel
the same way about fashion,
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Talvez você não seja tão ligado
em moda como eu,
00:29
but I bet you have a favorite T-shirt
or a pair of jeans that transforms you --
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mas aposto que tem aquela camiseta
ou calça que lhe transformam,
00:35
makes you feel good,
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fazem você se sentir bem, confiante,
00:37
makes you feel confident,
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00:39
makes you feel like you.
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sentir-se você mesmo.
00:41
When I was younger,
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Quando eu era jovem,
queria ser a Betsey Johnson.
00:43
I wanted to be Betsey Johnson.
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00:45
I thought we were kindred,
crazy-hair spirits together.
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Achava que éramos parecidas
por causa dos nossos penteados exóticos.
00:49
I did go to fashion design,
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Estudei e depois trabalhei
na indústria da moda por anos,
00:51
I worked in the industry for years
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amava fazer isso.
00:53
and loved it.
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00:55
I married,
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Casei e tive três filhos.
00:57
I had three kids.
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00:59
But life can be heartbreakingly ironic.
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Mas a vida pode ser ironicamente difícil,
01:05
My middle child, Oliver, was born
with a rare form of muscular dystrophy,
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meu filho do meio, Oliver,
nasceu com uma distrofia muscular rara,
ou DM.
01:10
or MD.
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01:12
MD affects his muscle strength,
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DM afeta a força dos seus músculos,
seu sistema pulmonar, distorce o corpo
01:15
his pulmonary system,
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01:17
distorts his body
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01:18
and makes everyday life
more challenging than most.
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e torna a vida mais
desafiadora do que a da maioria.
01:22
From the time he could walk,
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Quando ele começou a andar,
01:23
which wasn't until about two and a half,
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o que só foi aos dois anos e meio,
01:25
he had to wear leg braces for stability.
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precisou de suporte de pernas
para ter estabilidade.
01:28
Because he wasn't growing appropriately,
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Como ele não estava crescendo
apropriadamente
01:30
he had to wear a feeding tube
that was placed on his face.
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teve que usar um tubo de alimentação
colocado no rosto.
01:34
He endured stares, and so did I.
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E havia os olhares alheios
que ele e eu tivemos que enfrentar.
01:38
But my husband Greg and I told him
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Mas meu marido, Greg, disse certa vez
01:41
that no matter what,
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que, independente de qualquer coisa,
01:43
he was just like everybody else.
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ele era exatamente como todo mundo.
01:46
But everyday tasks for Oliver
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Ainda assim, as tarefas diárias,
que pra nós são corriqueiras,
01:49
that we all take for granted
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01:51
were incredibly challenging.
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eram incrivelmente desafiadoras.
01:54
That simple act of dressing yourself --
the very thing that I adore --
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O simples ato de se vestir, que eu amo,
02:00
was a nightmare for him.
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era um pesadelo pra ele.
02:03
His form of MD does not affect his mind.
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O tipo de DM que ele tem
não afeta sua mente,
02:07
His brain is an A-plus,
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seu cérebro é fantástico,
02:09
which means he's acutely aware
of his shortcomings.
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o que significa que ele é plenamente
consciente das suas dificuldades.
02:12
This became very evident
when he started school,
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Isso ficou muito claro
quando ele foi pra escola,
02:16
and that daily act of dressing yourself
was a constant reminder
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e se vestir todo dia se tornou
um lembrete constante
02:21
of what he could and could not do.
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do que ele podia ou não fazer.
02:26
So our solution was for Oliver
to wear sweatpants every day:
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A solução que encontramos foi o Oliver
usar calça de moleton todo dia,
02:30
to school,
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na escola,
02:31
to parties,
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em festas,
02:32
on vacations --
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nas férias,
02:34
his uniform.
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como um uniforme.
02:36
For special occasions,
he would wear proper pants.
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Em ocasiões especiais,
ele usava calças apropriadas,
02:39
But many times, because he couldn't manage
the button and zipper,
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mas muitas vezes, como ele tinha
dificuldade com o botão e com o zíper,
02:43
I would have to take him
to the men's room,
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eu precisava ir com ele
ao banheiro masculino,
02:46
which was incredibly embarrassing for him
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o que era constrangedor pra ele
e pra qualquer outro homem
que estivesse lá.
02:49
and the other men that were in there.
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02:51
But them -- I said, "Oh, please.
There's nothing I haven't seen before."
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Aí eu dizia: "Deixa de ser bobo,
não tem nada aí que eu já não vi antes".
02:54
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:56
For years we muddled through.
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Por anos, contornamos a situação,
02:58
But when Oliver was in third grade,
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mas quando ele estava na terceira série,
03:01
I found out he was more like me
than I ever imagined.
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descobri que ele era muito
mais parecido comigo do que eu imaginava,
03:06
Oliver, too, cared about fashion.
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Oliver também se interessava por moda.
03:09
He came home from school one day
and said very definitively
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Um dia, ele chegou da escola
e me disse super decidido
03:13
that he was going to wear jeans to school
like everybody else gets to wear.
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que ia começar a usar jeans na escola
assim como todo mundo.
03:17
Well, I certainly couldn't go
to class with him
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Eu não tinha como ir pra escola com ele
e o levar no banheiro masculino,
03:20
and take him to the boys' room,
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03:21
but there was no way
I was telling my eight-year-old
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mas dizer ao meu menino de oito anos
03:25
that he couldn't wear
what he wanted to wear.
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que ele não podia usar o que queria
não era uma opção.
03:28
So that night,
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Então naquela noite,
03:30
I MacGyvered the hell out of his jeans.
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radicalizei o jeans dele.
03:33
I remembered when I was pregnant
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Lembrei de quando estava grávida
03:36
and unwilling to stop wearing
my own favorite pants,
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decidida a não parar
de usar minha calça favorita,
03:39
even though I was busting out of them,
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apesar de estar saindo pra fora dela,
03:41
that rubber-band trick.
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e daquele truque do elástico.
03:43
You moms remember what I'm talking about?
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Vocês, mães, sabem do que estou falando?
O elástico passa pelo buraco do botão,
vai até o botão e volta?
03:45
The rubber band through the buttonhole,
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03:47
around the button and back?
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03:49
Instant stretch.
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Tiro e queda.
03:51
So I removed the zipper
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Tirei o zíper pra ele conseguir
puxar o elástico sozinho,
03:53
so he could pull it
up and down on his own.
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03:56
I cut up the side seam
of the bottom of his pants
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cortei a costura lateral
da parte debaixo da calça
04:00
to accommodate for his leg braces,
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para os suportes das pernas
entrarem melhor,
04:02
applied Velcro --
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coloquei velcro,
prestem atenção, todo mundo:
autocolante, dá pra acreditar?
04:03
hold your ears, everybody:
peel and stick, mind you --
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04:07
so that it would close around it.
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Assim daria pra fechar pelos lados.
04:10
When I showed Oliver
my arts and crafts project,
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Quando mostrei minha arte para o Oliver,
04:14
he absolutely beamed.
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ele quase que não se conteve,
04:16
He went into school
with his head held so high.
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foi pra escola tão seguro de si.
04:20
Those jeans transformed him.
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Aquele jeans o transformou.
04:23
He was able to get dressed on his own,
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Agora, ele podia se vestir sozinho,
04:26
he was able to go
to the bathroom on his own;
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ir ao banheiro sozinho,
04:28
those jeans gave him confidence.
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aquele jeans deu a ele confiança.
04:31
I didn't realize it at the time,
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Não percebi na época,
04:33
but this was my first foray
into the world of adaptive clothing.
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mas aquele foi meu primeiro ensaio
no mundo das roupas adaptadas.
04:38
Adaptive clothing is defined as clothing
designed for people with disabilities,
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Roupas adaptadas são roupas desenhadas
para pessoas com deficiências,
idosos e qualquer pessoa
que tenha dificuldade para se vestir.
04:43
the elderly
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04:45
and anyone who struggles
with dressing themselves.
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04:49
Adaptive clothing did exist,
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Roupas adaptadas já existiam,
04:52
but it was missing that mainstream
fashion component.
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mas faltava aquele componente
básico da moda,
04:56
It was very medicinal and very functional
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elas atendiam bem o lado médico
e eram muito práticas,
04:59
but not stylish.
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mas sem estilo.
05:01
And that's a huge problem,
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E isso é um problema enorme,
porque importa o que você veste,
05:03
because what you wear matters.
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05:06
Clothing can affect your mood,
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as roupas podem afetar seu humor,
sua saúde e sua autoestima.
05:09
your health
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05:10
and your self-esteem.
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05:12
Now, being a fashion lover,
I've known this forever,
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Como amante da moda,
sei disso desde sempre,
05:15
but scientists actually
have a name for it.
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mas os cientistas tem um nome pra isso,
05:18
It's called "Enclothed Cognition,"
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chama-se "Cognição Indumentária".
05:21
the co-occurrence of two factors:
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Ela consiste na junção de dois fatores:
05:23
the symbolic meaning of clothing
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o significado simbólico da roupa
05:26
and the physical experience
of wearing the clothing,
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e a experiência física de vestir a roupa,
05:30
both of which have a direct correlation
to how you feel about yourself.
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ambos possuem relação direta
em como você sente sobre si mesmo.
05:35
There's actually a professor in the UK
by the name of Karen J. Pine.
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Tem uma professora na Inglaterra
chamada Karen J. Pine,
05:40
She wrote a book called
"Mind What You Wear:
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que escreveu um livro chamado
"Mind What You Wear:
The Psychology of Fashion".
05:43
The Psychology of Fashion."
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05:45
She states in her book
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Ela diz no livro
que quando você põe uma roupa,
05:47
that when you put clothes on,
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05:50
you adapt the characteristics
of what you're wearing,
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você se adapta as características
do que está vestindo,
05:53
whether you realize it or not.
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mesmo que não se dê conta.
05:56
That's why you feel like a rock star
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É por isso que você se sente
uma estrela do rock
06:00
when you put on
those perfect-fitting jeans.
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quando põe aquele jeans
que encaixa perfeito em você,
06:03
That's why you feel invincible
when you put on that power suit,
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ou invencível quando veste
aquele terno poderoso,
06:07
and that's why you feel beautiful
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ou linda naquele vestidinho preto.
06:10
in that little black dress.
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06:12
But that's exactly why
Oliver felt so isolated
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E essa era a razão do Oliver
se sentir tão isolado
quando não podia vestir o que queria.
06:16
when he couldn't wear
what he wanted to wear.
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Ele até me disse uma vez:
06:18
He even said to me one time,
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06:19
"Mom, wearing sweatpants every day
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"Mãe, vestir calça de moletom todo dia
faz eu me sentir vestido como deficiente".
06:22
makes me feel like I'm dressing disabled."
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06:28
There are one billion people on our planet
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Há mais de um bilhão de pessoas no planeta
com algum tipo de deficiência.
06:32
that experience some type of disability.
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06:34
One billion.
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Um bilhão!
06:37
If 10 percent of that billion
experience clothing challenges,
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Se dez por cento delas
sofrem com dificuldades em se vestir,
06:42
that's an enormous amount of people
that may not be as confident,
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é um número enorme de pessoas
que não são tão confiantes,
06:46
as successful
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bem-sucedidas,
06:48
or even as happy as they could be.
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ou até mesmo felizes quanto poderiam ser.
06:52
The morning after Oliver left for school
wearing those jeans,
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Naquela manhã, depois que o Oliver
saiu pra escola vestindo o jeans,
06:56
I realized that I could
do something about that.
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percebi que eu podia
fazer algo a respeito.
07:00
And so I did.
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E eu fiz.
07:02
In 2013, I founded an organization
called Runway of Dreams.
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Em 2013, fundei uma organização
chamada "Runway of Dreams".
07:08
The mission was to educate
the fashion industry
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A missão era conscientizar
a indústria da moda
07:12
that modifications could be made
to mainstream clothing
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para modificações que podiam ser feitas
nas roupas voltadas a essa comunidade,
07:16
for this community
that has never been served.
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que nunca tinha sido atendida.
07:20
And it began with an entire
year of research.
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Começou com um ano inteiro de pesquisas.
07:24
I went to schools, I went to facilities,
I went to hospitals.
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Fui a escolas, fábricas, hospitais,
07:28
I literally chased down people
on the street who were in wheelchairs
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literalmente persegui nas ruas pessoas
que estavam em cadeira de rodas,
07:32
or if they had walkers
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com muletas e até as que estavam mancando.
07:33
or even if they had a slight limp.
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07:35
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
07:36
I know I must have looked insane,
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Imagino que eu devia parecer maluca,
07:38
but I knew that if I was really
going to make a difference,
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mas sabia que pra realmente
fazer a diferença,
07:41
I had to truly understand
the clothing challenges
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eu precisaria entender de verdade
os desafios para se vestir
07:45
of as many different people
as I possibly could.
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do maior número de pessoas
que eu pudesse ouvir.
07:48
I met a young man who was 18
who has cerebral palsy.
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Encontrei um rapaz de 18 anos
com paralisia cerebral.
07:53
He was going to Harvard University.
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Ele ia estudar na Universidade de Harvard.
07:56
He said to me, "Can you imagine?
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Ele me disse: "Dá pra acreditar?
07:58
I got myself into Harvard,
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Consegui entrar em Harvard,
08:01
but my dream is to be able
to wear jeans on campus,
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mas o meu sonho era poder
andar de jeans pelo campus,
igual aos outros calouros".
08:05
like the other freshmen will wear."
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08:07
I met a little girl named Gianna,
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Conheci uma garotinha chamada Gianna
que não tinha antebraço e mão esquerda.
08:10
who was missing
her left forearm and her hand.
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08:14
Her mother told me
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Sua mãe me disse que não suportava
08:16
she could not bear to see
her daughter's difference magnified
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ver a diferença de sua filha maximizada
por causa de mangas esvoaçantes,
08:19
by a dangling sleeve,
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08:21
so she had every single long-sleeve shirt
professionally tailored.
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então providenciou ajustes profissionais
em todas as camisas de manga comprida.
08:25
Can you imagine the time
and money she spent?
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Consegue imaginar quanto tempo
e dinheiro ela gastou?
08:29
I also had the great privilege
of spending time with Eric LeGrand,
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Também tive o enorme privilégio
de passar um tempo com Eric LeGrand,
08:33
former Rutgers football player
who was paralyzed during a tackle in 2010.
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ex-jogador de futebol americano,
paralisado em um acidente de jogo em 2010.
08:39
I had, at this point,
seen some unfathomable things,
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Até aquele momento, já tinha visto
algumas coisas difíceis de explicar,
08:43
but this, by far,
was the most heart-stopping.
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mas aquela, de longe,
foi a mais comovente.
08:47
You see, Eric is a really big guy,
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O Eric é um rapaz grande,
são necessários dois ajudantes
e uma máquina de elevar para o vestir.
08:49
and it took two aides
and a lifting machine
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08:53
to get him dressed.
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08:55
I sat and watched this process
for over two hours.
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Sentei e assisti esse processo
por mais de duas horas.
08:59
When I expressed my shock to Eric,
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Quando expressei
minha indignação ao Eric,
09:02
he looked at me and said,
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ele me olhou e disse:
"Mindy, isso acontece todo dia.
09:03
"Mindy, this is every single day.
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Fazer o quê?
09:06
What can I say?
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09:07
I like to look sharp."
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Gosto de estar bonitão".
Pesquisa concluída.
09:10
Research done.
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09:12
I knew that if I was going to make
a change in the industry,
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Sabia que pra fazer
uma mudança na indústria,
09:15
I had to use my background
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1998
teria que usar minha experiência,
09:18
and really figure out
how to make these clothes modified.
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e realmente bolar maneiras
de como modificar essas roupas.
09:23
So I took the information
I gathered over that past year,
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Então, reuni a informação
que tinha coletado no ano que passou,
e compreendi que haviam três categorias
que eram afetadas indistintamente.
09:27
and I figured out that there were
actually three categories
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09:30
that were affected across the board.
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09:32
The first were closures.
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A primeira eram os fechamentos.
09:35
Buttons, snaps, zippers, hook-and-eyes
were a challenge for almost everybody.
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Botões, presilhas, zíperes, ganchos
são um desafio para quase todo mundo.
09:40
So I replaced them
with a more manageable technology:
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Então, substituí
por uma tecnologia mais fácil:
09:44
magnets.
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imãs.
09:45
Magnets made our Harvard freshman
able to wear jeans on campus,
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Imãs permitiram ao nosso calouro
em Harvard usar jeans no campus,
09:50
because he could dress himself.
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porque ele conseguia se vestir sozinho.
09:52
Second: adjustability.
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Segunda: Ajustes.
09:55
Pant lengths, sleeve lengths, waistbands
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Comprimento de calças, mangas e cós
09:57
were a challenge for so many
different-shaped bodies.
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são um desafio para gente
com diferentes formatos de corpos,
10:00
So I added elastic,
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então, adicionei elasticidade,
10:02
an internal hemming system.
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1965
um sistema de bainha embutida.
10:05
This way, Gianna could wear
a shirt right off the rack
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Assim, Gianna poderia vestir uma camisa
que acabou de sair da loja
e simplesmente ajustar uma das mangas.
10:08
and just adjust the one sleeve.
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1863
10:11
Last: alternate ways to get
the clothing on and off the body,
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Última: maneiras alternativas
pra vestir e tirar a roupa,
10:14
outside the traditional way
of over your head.
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2849
diferentes das tradicionais
que são por cima da cabeça.
10:17
So I designed a way to go in arms first.
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3068
Projetei uma maneira de por a roupa
com os braços primeiro.
10:20
This, for somebody like Eric,
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1856
Para alguém como Eric,
10:22
could actually take five steps
off his dressing process
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4185
poderia reduzir cinco passos
no seu processo de se vestir
10:27
and give him back the gift of time.
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3334
e devolver a ele o valioso recurso,
que é o tempo.
10:31
So I went out,
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1819
Então, fui dar um passeio,
comprei roupas nas lojas,
10:33
I bought clothing right off the rack,
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2195
10:35
I sat at my kitchen table,
ripped them apart,
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sentei na minha mesa da cozinha,
desmanchei as roupas,
10:39
did prototype after prototype,
until I felt I had great modifications.
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fiz protótipos, um atrás do outro,
até conseguir as mudanças que queria.
10:45
And then I was ready for the big leagues:
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Aí eu estava pronta para o passo decisivo:
10:48
the fashion industry.
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a indústria da moda.
10:51
Rather than designing my own collection,
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Em vez de criar minha própria coleção,
10:53
I knew if I was really
going to make a difference,
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2583
sabia que pra fazer a diferença,
eu precisava que as grandes marcas
comprassem a ideia.
10:56
I had to go mainstream.
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2104
Eu acreditava que só era necessário
conscientizar a indústria
10:59
I believed that I just needed
to educate the industry
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4874
11:04
of the enormity of this population
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do enorme tamanho desta população,
11:06
and the fact that these were consumers
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2757
e que eles eram consumidores
que não estavam sendo levados em conta.
11:10
that simply weren't being considered.
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1995
11:13
And I am thrilled to say
that the industry heard me.
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3836
E me emociona dizer
que a indústria me escutou.
11:18
Runway of Dreams collaborated
with the most amazing,
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5276
A Runway of Dreams trabalhou
com a marca mais fantástica
e progressista do planeta,
11:23
forward-thinking brand on our planet --
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3583
11:27
(Applause)
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675442
2726
(Aplausos)
11:36
who took my vision to market
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2569
que levou minha visão ao mercado
e entrou para a história da moda
11:38
and made fashion history
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2585
11:41
by launching the first mainstream
adaptive collection.
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4270
ao lançar a primeira coleção
de moda básica de roupas adaptáveis.
11:45
And the rest is yet to come.
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2774
E o resto ainda está por vir.
11:49
(Applause)
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2211
(Aplausos)
11:51
So --
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1177
Então...
11:52
(Applause)
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1709
(Aplausos)
11:55
Fashion holds the key to a vital lifeline.
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3055
A moda tem a chave
para uma ajuda significativa.
11:59
Clothing can be transformative.
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1929
A roupa tem o poder de transformar.
Roupas são iguais a confiança.
12:01
Clothing equals confidence.
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3607
12:06
So tomorrow,
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Então amanhã,
quando você iniciar seu dia
12:07
when you are starting your day
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2216
12:09
and you're thinking about
what you're going to wear,
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2511
e pensar em que roupa irá usar,
12:12
I hope you appreciate the process
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2816
eu gostaria que pensasse no processo
12:15
and think about how what you chose
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2426
e em como o que você escolhe
faz você se sentir.
12:18
makes you feel.
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1640
12:19
Today, Oliver is 13.
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2578
Hoje, Oliver tem 13 anos,
usa suas calças cáquis adaptadas,
sua camisa com botões magnéticos,
12:22
He wears his adaptive khakis,
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2169
12:24
his magnetic button-front shirt --
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2225
12:27
feels like the coolest kid around.
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sente-se o garoto mais popular do pedaço.
12:29
My boy has total swagger.
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2582
Meu menino está um arraso.
12:32
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
12:35
As I mentioned,
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1363
Como eu disse,
12:39
Oliver's disease is degenerative,
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2243
a doença do Oliver é degenerativa,
12:42
which means his muscles
are going to break down over time.
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3281
o que significa que seus músculos
vão atrofiar com o tempo.
12:47
This, by far, is the most
devastating part for me.
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3716
Isso, de longe, é o que mais me dói.
12:52
I have to sit on the sidelines
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2507
Tenho que andar por aí
enquanto assisto meu filho se deteriorar,
12:56
and watch my boy deteriorate.
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2695
12:59
And there's nothing I can do about it.
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2122
e não tem nada que eu possa fazer.
13:03
So I am looking up from the things
that I cannot control
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6695
Então, estou fazendo o melhor,
das coisas que não controlo
até as que posso controlar,
13:09
to the things that I can,
253
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1664
13:11
because I have no option.
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1690
porque não tenho opção.
13:14
And so, I am looking up.
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1861
Então, estou lutando por melhorias.
13:17
And I'm asking the fashion
industry to look up.
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2679
E estou pedindo a indústria da moda
que continuem a melhorar.
13:21
And now, I'm asking all of you
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2729
E agora, peço a vocês,
13:24
to look up, too.
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2170
lutem por melhorias também.
13:27
Thank you.
259
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1151
Obrigada.
13:28
(Applause)
260
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(Aplausos)

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mindy Scheier - Fashion designer
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.

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.

More profile about the speaker
Mindy Scheier | Speaker | TED.com