Tommy Hilfiger unveiled its Spring 2019 Adaptive clothing line, continuing an inclusive tradition that began in 2016. The campaign includes a push on social media with influential members of the disabled community including athletes and performers.
The Spring 2019 Tommy Adaptive collection features clothing designed for individuals with disabilities, for whom getting dressed can be a real challenge. One in five Americans lives with a disability, Tommy Hilfiger cites on the collection’s page.
A series of video ads have appeared across Tommy Hilfiger social channels that show disabled models living their lives and following their dreams. The videos include Mia, a small girl with Down Syndrome who is able to dress herself thanks to the collection. Other videos star Dimitry Kim, an amputee dancer, Gavin McHugh, a young surfer and actor with cerebral palsy, Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, an influencer with ALS and more.
McHugh and Spencer each have around 10,000 followers on Instagram, respectively.
Simple daily routines are something that many of us take for granted. Everyday battles like fitting a prosthetic leg into a pair of jeans, dealing with autism-related sensitivity issues or zipping a jacket with one arm create a whole market for fashion that accommodates more consumers.
The Tommy Adaptive collection looks much like the rest of the designer’s clothing, but buttons have been discreetly replaced with magnetic closures, hidden hook and loop panels adjust hems, jackets feature one-handed zippers and other adjustments.
In 2016, Tommy Hilfiger launched a disabled children’s collection that swapped buttons with hidden magnetic closures and expanded fastening necklines. The inclusive design expanded to adults with the Spring 2018 Tommy Adaptive collection, with a campaign called “Independence.”
The “Independence” campaign was directed by James Rath, who was born with ocular albinism and nystagmus. The branded short film included Paralympian gold medal track star Jeremy Campbell, autistic chef Jeremiah Josey, motivational speaker Mama Caxx and paraplegic dancer Chelsie Hill.
Other companies like Target have tried to make the fashion industry more inclusive in recent years, but Tommy Hilfiger was the first major fashion brand to take the leap. Target launched its Cat and Jack line for disabled children in 2017 and recently expanded its Universal Thread women’s line to include more disability-friendly options.
Global retail market research firm Coresight Research Coresight predicts that the global adaptive apparel market will reach $288.7 billion in 2019 and grow to $349.9 billion in 2023. In the US, the adaptive apparel market will reach $47.3 billion in 2019 and grow to $54.8 billion by 2023.