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Target Scores Bulls-Eye Again

December 13, 2017

By Joan Leotta

examples of Cat and Jack adaptive clothingLast summer, Target launched the children’s clothing line, “‘Cat & Jack,” a fun blend of creativity and functionality designed to meet the needs of modern families. This past fall (2017), Target expanded the line to include a selection of stylish adaptive pieces for toddlers and kids living with disabilities.

In describing this innovative launch, Julie Guggemos, senior vice president of Product Design and Development at Target, stated, “It’s our goal at Target to always make sure we have products that fit our guests’ needs, and all at a reasonable price point. We heard from our guests – and members of our own team—that there’s a need for adaptive clothing for kids that is both fashionable and affordable, so we set out to create exactly that.” She added, “since launching sensory-friendly apparel earlier this year and receiving such positive guest feedback, we’re now focused on continuing to evolve and expand Cat & Jack to meet the needs of even more of our guests.” Target spokesperson Meghan Roman further explained the vision behind the new line of clothing and the role Cat & Jack plays in the company’s overall commitment to shoppers with disabilities.

 

SMG: What made Target aware of the need for adaptive clothing?

Roman:  Target heard from real kids and parents – and members of their own team – that there’s a need for adaptive clothing for kids that is both fashionable and affordable. It all started when Stacey Monsen, a design director for AVA & VIV, Target’s own plus size line brand, and her teammates saw an opportunity to design pieces that are more accommodating for all guests–including their own kids. With this insight, Target set out to introduce a limited selection of sensory-friendly and adaptive kids’ clothing, within Cat & Jack, that’s affordable and offers kids stylish options to feel comfortable and confident enough to take on the day. Since the product launch last year, real kids, including those with sensory processing sensitivities, have played a key role in the development of the Cat & Jack brand. The feedback and insights Target gathered from this unique demographic were so invaluable that we have continued to tap kids from season to season to ensure we are meeting the wants and needs of our guests.

SMG: What items are available now?

Roman: The adaptive assortment features 40 items for boys and girls, including puffer jackets, long-sleeve tees, short-sleeve tees, hooded sweatshirts, leggings and bodysuits. Cat & Jack’s selection of adaptive apparel features details like outerwear created with zip-off sleeves and side and back openings to help make dressing easier for kids who are lying down or sitting. We also offer footless sleepwear to minimize discomfort for children who have sensory processing sensitivities or for those who wear additional supports on their legs and feet; we carry clothing with hidden openings that allow for abdominal access as well as diaper-friendly leggings and bodysuits.

SMG:  Are (and were) disability organizations and people with disabilities involved with developing and marketing this line?

Roman:  In addition gathering feedback from our guests and members of our own team, Target’s design team met with several organizations such as Pageant of Hope (a pageant for girls with special needs and challenges), Mind Body Solutions (a non-profit specializing in adaptive yoga), The National Federation of the Blind Minnesota and The Minnesota Autism Center, a group which facilitated our understanding of how clothing can help meet the everyday needs of children with disabilities and sensory processing sensitivities.

SMG:  Are the clothes available online, in stores or both? What are the sizes and price points?

Roman: The Cat & Jack adaptive apparel assortment is available exclusively on Target.com. Based on the current brand styles, Target’s internal design team created the 40-item assortment with features like side and back snap and zip closures and hidden openings for abdominal access, all in an effort to make getting dressed easier for everyone (kids and parents!). Cat & Jack adaptive apparel comes in sizes 2T-5T (Toddler) and XS-XXL (Big Kids). Prices range from $4.50 to $39.99, with most items priced at under $19.99.

The Target.com website boasts a unique online experience with online sizing tools meant to make it easier to find clothing that fits the specific needs of children. The online experience also showcases the design attributes and provides inspiration of how to mix and match the styles.

SMG:  Cat & Jack is available exclusively for children right now. Will adult clothing be available at a later date?  

Roman:  Yes, the line is only for children at present. Target will continue to evaluate all of our apparel assortments from kids to adults to ensure that guests feel welcomed and inspired by our products.

The best way to summarize our plans for the future of Cat & Jack is to quote Stacey Monsen, the Target design person who initiated our involvement in this line:  “The Target team has immense passion and collective knowledge, and I love that we’re using it to develop products and solutions that will change people’s lives. My goal is to keep being an advocate, for my daughter and for others.”

 

Cat & Jack products are available now on Target.com.

Filed Under: Featured, Profiles in Excellence Leave a Comment

Tags: adaptive clothing, Cat & Jack, target

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Form Follows Function: Embrace Possibility — IZ Adaptive update

July 14, 2014

IZ Adaptive LogoThe word “fashion” often conjures up images of runways and of models with perfect bodies. Izzy Camillieri, owner and designer of IZ Adaptive, left that world to turn her talents to making clothing for people with disabilities. In doing so, she has reimagined the field of clothing design, putting function first while also celebrating form. Her innovative designs, which combine traditional patterns with the needs of her clients, are being honored in a six-month exhibit at the Textile Galleries of the Royal Ontario Museum.

IZ Adaptive has progressed considerably since SMG first featured the company in December 2011. Izzy relates that, since that time, her website and Toronto store “have continuously added new items to the line, expanding new offerings for both men and women.” Improvements have come through being attentive and persistently trying new things. “The learning is continuous,” says Izzy, “listening to the needs of my clients.” She listens to their pocketbooks as well. “We see our line as mid-range in price.”

It’s no surprise that Izzy’s business has grown in the past few years, providing as it does a unique line of clothing to be best enjoyed from a wheelchair. “Knowing how underserved this market has been,” Izzy relates, “inspires us to make the best choices for our customers and business.” She is always on the qui vive for new materials and designs, seeking better ways to meet client needs. Says Izzy, “Our commitment continuously deepens each and every day.”

Dr. Alexandra Palmer, the Nora E. Vaughan Fashion Costume Senior Curator in the ROM’s World Cultures department, serves as curator for IZ Adaptive’s ROM exhibit. Palmer notes that she was motivated to collaborate on the fashion showcase because “Izzy’s perspective on clothing is radically different.
“Everyone looks at fashion, the creation of clothing, in a vertical way,” Palmer explains. “How the clothing will look on a standing person. Izzy thinks about how it will look and feel when the wearer is sitting or lying down.”

A Natural Fit

Palmer first learned of Izzy’s work by browsing her Toronto boutique. “I walked into her store in the Junction section of Toronto just to see the new shop,” Palmer relates.  Palmer says she was particularly struck by the similarity in what was done historically with patterns to what  Izzy is doing now. A fashion historian, Palmer not only specializes in trousers but also teaches a class on their history. She soon realized that Izzy’s fashiona designs and the Textile Galleries of the ROM would be a natural fit.

3 women in wheel chairs sitting around a table conversing wearing IZ Adaptive designs

Palmer characterizes Izzy’s work as “very important,” even “transformative.” Why? Her emphasis is on creating designs that make customers feel good about themselves, not just prioritizing ease of medical access or emphasizing caregiver assistance for dressing.

“She tries to solve physical function issues with the clothes while producing fashionable items,” Palmer notes, “and the result is her line of very clever clothes. They look nice. But while they may not seem not extraordinary, they are extraordinary.”

The IZ Adaptive line has not gone unnoticed by the fashion community, either. “Izzy has been called ‘Canada’s most PC (Perfectly Cut) fashion designer’ for good reason,” Palmer relates. “She has broken new ground by designing and creating pieces for maximum comfort, ease, and style for those who have traditionally had difficulty finding clothing that is affordable and that fits.”

While accessibility advancements have been made for people with disabilities in many areas, the need for adaptive clothing had been largely overlooked until Izzy’s line made its debut. Since off-the-rack clothing is worn sitting down or standing up, designers before Izzy didn’t consider the impact of sitting as a person’s only position in the way clothes hang on the body.

For example, Palmer notes the case of a young man who uses a wheelchair but who has to travel quite a bit for business. Before purchasing trousers from IZ Adaptive, he had to worry about his trousers bunching up or falling down whenever he transferred to an airplane seat. Now, he reports, can travel in comfort, without worrying about his trousers falling to his ankles.

With a designer’s steady eye for fashion and trends, Izzy incorporates the latest colors, quality fabrics, and durable materials as she shapes her designs. “We are constantly listening, learning and inspired by the needs and desires of our clients,” she says. “Details of easier closures and ease of dressing are always top of my mind.”

Her website is full of testimonials from people with disabilities who have found her products comfortable, practical, and fun to wear. SMG’s own CEO Carmen Jones is a particular fan of the IZ adaptive coats. Izzy comments, “Our pants and coats are our most frequently purchased items.” Although children’s styles are unavailable as of yet, Izzy notes that “as soon as they are teenagers, they can fit into our smaller adult sizes.”

Striking a Pose

The shop in Toronto, the IZ Adaptive website, and the museum exhibit all display Izzy’s designs on fiberglass “Mannequals” that show how the clothing looks from a seated position. An innovation in the world of fashion, the “Mannequal” was the focus of an national advertising campaign in England four years ago. It was designed by artist, activist, and model Sophie Morgan. A paraplegic after a 2003 car accident, Morgan has continued with a career, often bringing disability issues to the foreground in her role as BBC television presenter. You can learn more about the “Mannequal” at www.mannequal.co.uk or on Sophie Morgan’s own site at www.sophiemorgan.com.

Once customers see designs at IZ Adaptive that they like, they can follow detailed directions on how to measure for and order the items. Izzy notes that, while she does have a physical location in Toronto, “our location is not really a store but a showroom where we serve our clients. All of our samples are there for clients to order from. We have not needed the space to expand.”

3 men in wheel chairs playing basketball wearing IZ Adaptive designs

Izzy credits an enhanced web presence, new images of actual clients modeling the collection, videos about the history of the line, and videos highlighting the features of the clothing all with contributing to an increase in sales. Social media, bloggers, mailing lists, and mainstream marketing efforts help as well. She notes that IZ adaptive has been actively working with organizations to help spread the word about the clothing line.

She is also implementing good old-fashioned low shipping fees. “We have just introduced free shipping for orders over $100 in North America,” Izzy reports, “and a $30 flat fee for orders over $150 for international orders.” While most of IZ Adaptive’s sales come from the United States, customers in Canada and Australia make up a sizable portion of her shoppers as well.

Future of the Line

The ROM exhibit, called Fashion Follows Form, runs until the end of 2014 and spotlights the unique and innovative features of the collection. As a point of comparison, 18th and 19th century clothing designed for sitting will be featured as well. Izzy says, “The exhibit will also feature some of my past high-end fashion design work, to show and demonstrate my background and roots.”
Palmer adds, “We hope this exhibition inspires visitors to think about the role fashion plays in our daily lives as well as the historical relationship between fashion and function.”

Izzy says, “We want wheelchair users, their families, and caregivers to know that our line of clothing is a better alternative to mainstream, standing-frame cut clothing. These clothes are easier to put on, save time while dressing, and make dressing easier for both wearer and dresser. Our line allows for all-day comfort, without style being sacrificed. I often explain that the line is secondary to what it delivers in terms of dignity, sense of self, inclusion, and peace of mind.”

Filed Under: Profiles in Excellence Leave a Comment

Tags: adaptive clothing, inlusion, IZ Adaptive, Izzy Camilleri

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The disability market consists of 56M people, representing an annual disposable income of $544 billion.

The disability market is more than twice as large as the tween market (20M), and has almost 3X the disposable spending power ($180B).

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