IMAGINE Imagine consulting with potential customers with physical needs different from yours. During New York Fashion Week last year, a fashion shoot was held that featured four Special Olympics New York athletes. Celebrity fashion photographer and Special Olympics Champion Ambassador, Nigel Barker, took the photographs. They modeled adaptable athlete/ streetwear from the Be Brave collection, developed through a collaboration between Special Olympics New York and students from the Parsons School of Design. The unique alliance paved the way for a more inclusive world for athletes and offers the next generation of designers some insight into a whole new fashion market. Through semesterlong classes, design students from Parsons meet weekly with Special Olympics athletes (more recently via zoom) to plan and develop athletic gear for people with intellectual disabilities. How could you grow your market share by tweaking products for those with special needs? NIGEL BARKER
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY3Mjcw