TWU students merge fashion, function for adaptive clothing for Scottish Rite patients

Students from Texas Woman’s University on Monday presented a specially designed clothing line to young patients currently being treated at Scottish Rite for Children.

The project, part of the university’s Fashion Design & Merchandising program, focuses on creating adaptive garments tailored for children with disabilities, including scoliosis, spina bifida and those with prosthetic limbs or who use wheelchairs.

The students embarked on this journey by starting a project in their mass production class, taught by professor Remy Odukomaiya.

Professor Odukomaiya’s inspiration for this initiative came when she got tired of leaving the student projects “just on the shelves,” and wanted to teach students about community engagement.

“They’re learning about mass production, but how do they help someone else? How do they understand that fashion design is not just about New York fashion but how do we breathe in when we say, very inclusive? What does that truly mean?” Odukomaiya said. “Then I spoke with the hospital’s people and they told me what were the needs.”

This firsthand experience allowed her to engage students to create garments that are not only practical but also uplifting, incorporating modern trends and vibrant colors.

“And that’s how we came about these designs here, where you can see that the top and bottom could work for someone with Halo, with spinal bifida (or) with the cast on their leg,” Odukomaiya said.

For the second consecutive year, the program has grown, now involving 20 students who have developed three clothing sets.

These designs seamlessly blend style and functionality, addressing the specific needs of patients undergoing treatments like halo-gravity traction, officials said. On the upper part of the garments, some of them include magnetic zippers or magnetic buttons, to facilitate the change of clothes.

The students’ goal is to provide clothing that not only serves its purpose but also brings joy and confidence to its wearers, the professor added.

“It is important to maintain their confidence as it is, you can see just in the interactions, they’re confident kids but how do you make that confidence stay right and not drop?” Odukomaiya said. “This is one of the goals.”

The expansion of this program was made possible by a donation from the Trinity Valley Quilters’ Guild, enabling the university to extend its reach to more families this year. University officials said another goal of this initiative is to be able and reach more hospitals, families and patients who need it.