Keynotes, Special Sessions, and Workshops

The Adaptive Design Innovations that Catalyzed the Adaptive Apparel Market

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Abstract

The apparel global supply chain (AGSC) is fragmented and globalized, making it challenging to satisfy consumers’ wants and needs. Global supply chain management is becoming critical to a brand’s success in the marketplace (Ha-Brookshire& Hawley, 2013). Through SCM, consumer satisfaction may be gained by offering exclusive product lines (Gereffi & Frederick, 2010). Despite the focus on customer satisfaction, one consumer population, people with disabilities (PWD), has had their wants and needs ignored for decades (Kabel et al., 2016), making it difficult for them to find apparel satisfaction (Freeman et al., 1985). However, recently, fashion-forward apparel brands and retailers, like Target® and Zappos®, have recognized the lack of apparel availability and begun serving PWD. This increased interest seems to align with the launch of the first-of-its-kind adaptive apparel line for children formed from a partnership with Mindy Scheier and Tommy Hilfiger®. Therefore the purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth, holistic, and contextualized understanding of how Mindy Scheier collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger® to catalyze the adaptive apparel movement in the marketplace and how the AGSC was managed and negotiated to accommodate the design and production of adaptive apparel. 

Keywords: Adaptive, Design, Adaptive Apparel, Apparel Global Supply Chain

How to Cite:

McBee-Black, K., (2022) “The Adaptive Design Innovations that Catalyzed the Adaptive Apparel Market”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13289