A group of students has embarked on an initiative to design clothing that caters to the neurodivergent community through the creation of SOLACE Collective. The venture was inspired by the experiences of Carolyn Fernandes and her peers after realizing the lack of clothing designed to address the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals.
Fernandes shares the common experience among neurodivergent people, which often includes the need for fidgeting. “People like me need to fidget to cope and feel comfortable, so I started researching ways clothing could be made to help neurodiverse people like myself feel more comfortable,” she explained.
SOLACE Collective was the brainchild of Aidan Turner, who was motivated by discussions with Linda Dickerson Hartsock and a class on inclusive product design. Turner aimed “to meet the needs of a huge portion of the population that is currently underserved.”
The team, including students from various academic backgrounds, worked together to address the challenges that neurodivergent people face with traditional clothing. This included gathering data through surveys and feedback sessions. Fernandes and Turner worked closely on creating clothing prototypes, such as sweatsets designed for discreet and participatory fidgeting.
Lucas d’Oelsnitz, who personally relates to the necessity of fidgeting, emphasized the broader social mission of their project. “Realizing this is something I would wear motivated me to go all-in on this project because this is not just a clothing brand; it’s solving an important social issue,” d’Oelsnitz remarked.
Fernandes sees their clothing line as an opportunity to validate the experiences of neurodivergent people: “Our product line serves to confirm to a lot of neurodivergent people that what they’re doing is okay and that they can be normal,” she added.
As the team prepares to launch, the initiative has already secured financial backing totaling over $32,000 from campus competitions and grants. By the end of the summer, they anticipate distributing their first line of casual wear, with ambitions to expand into business casual attire.
Speaking about the future, Turner stated: “There are a lot of opportunities for us to give this overlooked community reassurance and warmth through our clothing, and I’m proud of what this wonderful team has accomplished so far.”
