Spectrum Designs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit custom apparel and promotional products business dedicated to empowering adults on the Autism Spectrum through meaningful employment opportunities, recently announced its first-ever in-store retail partnership with T.J.Maxx. This groundbreaking collaboration brings Spectrum’s new custom-made t-shirts, with designs created entirely by their in-house team of neurodiverse artists, to 500 women’s departments and 200 men’s departments in T.J.Maxx stores nationwide, with a significant presence in premier East Coast locations. The merchandise, which launched in stores throughout September, is expected to remain available through the holiday season.
To bring the T.J.Maxx opportunity to fruition, Spectrum Designs partnered with BIOWORLD, a global leader in brand merchandising known for its success in over 25 apparel and accessories categories and collaborations with iconic brands like Disney, Warner Bros., and Sanrio. Together, they launched a six-style collection featuring original, on-trend graphic designs created exclusively by Spectrum’s neurodiverse team, with guidance from BIOWORLD’s art directors. This collection, also printed and packaged in-house, brings Spectrum’s unique talent into the mainstream retail space, capturing current trends and appealing to a wide audience.
“Special thanks to BIOWORLD and T.J. Maxx for recognizing and spotlighting the power of neuroinclusivity,” said Patrick Bardsley, Co-Founder and CEO of Spectrum Designs. “This collaboration showcases the extraordinary talents of our team and brings their designs to a national audience, furthering our mission to transform perceptions of those on the autism spectrum, particularly in the workplace. At Spectrum, neurodiverse individuals are not just part of our workforce—they are driving our innovation and success every day and this is yet another example of that.”
Brendan McGovern, Decoration Specialist at Spectrum Designs, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to know that our products are being sold in a store where so many people I know shop. Seeing them displayed on the racks is exciting and fills me with pride, knowing I can say, ‘I made that,’ and people are buying it.”