PPB January 2018

BRANDABLE Functional Fashion Tommy Hilfiger introduces adaptive clothing line for customers with disabilities His clothing line is best known for its all- American flair, but Tommy Hilfiger recently unveiled a line of clothing that’s also all-inclusive. Designed for wearers with disabilities, the Tommy Adaptive line is the result of a collaboration between Hilfiger and nonprofit group Runway of Dreams. Tommy Adaptive features more than 30 styles for men and women and includes jackets, pants, shirts and skirts that can be fastened more easily by wearers who have prosthetics, limb differences or braces, or who rely on wheelchairs for mobility. Adaptive elements include one-handed zippers, magnetic clasps, adjustable hems and Velcro ® straps. Hilfiger is just the latest designer to create clothing with special needs in mind. The Independence Day line from former news anchor Lauren Thierry is geared toward people on the autism spectrum. Apparel items are reversible, have no front or back, no tags, zippers or buttons, and are equipped to include an optional GPS tag in case the wearer gets lost or wanders off. MARKET SHARE The Color Of Money Pantone knows the marketing value of naming a Color of the Year. Pantone Vice President Laurie Pressman told Fast Company that the company’s 95-percent brand awareness among designers and design lovers is a direct result of the program. Pantone is just one of several companies throwing shades at consumers in hopes they’ll embrace the trend through product purchases. Manufacturers of paint, flooring and roofing, and even dancewear designers are picking “it” colors. Benjamin Moore has declared 2018 the year of Caliente, a deep red; Sherwin-Williams is making waves this year with its blue-green pick, Oceanside. Pantone's pick for 2018 is Ultra Violet 18-3838. The company calls the deep purple shade "a dramatically provocative and thoughtful" color that symbolizes creativity, mystery and nonconformity. The “it” colors aren’t getting all the attention, though; sales of all shades see an uptick when customers visit brick-and-mortar stores as well as ecommerce sites. To capitalize on the marketing move, companies are careful to lead trend-watchers around the color wheel, allowing consumers to build a custom palette that reflects their unique tastes. by Jen Alexander 66 | JANUARY 2018 | THINK