TWU fashion design students give ‘help couture' clothing to scoliosis patients at Scottish Rite

When you think of fashion, you might picture haute couture, thin models, and runway shows. Fashion design students at Texas Woman's University think about inclusiveness and accessibility.

"You know, life isn't perfect," Texas Woman's University Fashion Design Lecturer Remy Odukomaiya said. "But how do you take what you have and make the imperfect life a bit better?"

That was the goal for Odukomaiya's fashion design students at TWU as they worked on a class project to design accessible, but fashionable clothing for young scoliosis patients.

"I love working with kids," TWU fashion design student Zoey Zahn said. "I love seeing their face when they get something that's interesting to them, or something that will help them. It's always so exciting to see the joy in their faces!"

The design class brought their 'help couture' designs to Scottish Rite for Children to give to patients who are fitted with halo gravity traction devices to help correct curvature in the spine.

"They're not a forgotten population," Odukomaiya said. "They're thought of and loved...their healing is important to us."

The clothing is a mix of bright green, orange, and blue with animal designs. Functionally, it's made to fit over a halo, without looking like it's made to fit over a halo.

"I think I'm gonna be able to put it on myself," 8-year-old Serenitee Jackson said. Jackson was in a halo gravity traction device that she adorned with shiny stars and rhinestones.

"People don't realize the struggle that kids with spinal issues have. They don't realize how big of a deal it is to get a piece of clothing that fits them correctly, that's comfortable on them," Serenitee's mom Trechelle Collins said wiping away tears. "It's just a beautiful thing to have people come and be a part of her journey in a positive way."

"It gives our students purpose to know that there is a place where we can be useful outside of just designing for glamour," Odukomaiya said. "That's the stereotype I'm trying to break, and it starts with my students."

Odukomaiya said she would love it if a manufacturer wanted to produce her class's designs for a broader base.

"It makes me feel very happy that everybody cared about me," Jackson said.