Isaiah: The Inspiration for Victor Wear
I had one inspiration for creating Victor Wear: My amazing teenage son, Isaiah. He’s a bright, good-hearted lovable young man with high-functioning autism. He can sing, voice act, code video games, and create Picasso-style paintings. But despite all his amazing gifts, the reality is that he, like millions of other people with disabilities, will struggle in the working world.85% of adults with autism are unemployed.
Yet they are far from unemployable.And as Isaiah's mother, I refuse to let him spend his best years of his life playing video games and watching TV. I want to ensure that he has the resources he needs to survive, thrive and find purpose and pride in life. That has been our journey for the past 18 years.
navigating autism together
Early on, Isaiah faced issues with communicating his needs, making new friends, succeeding academically in large classes, and feeling ashamed of being “different.” He went to five schools, before we found the right educational formula that worked for his learning style and developmental needs. And he did countless therapies - beginning at just 12 months old - to ensure he had a fighting chance to succeed in this world.
OUR STRUGGLES MADE US STRONGER
It wasn’t easy! Especially as a single mother. It was downright overwhelming. As much as I did, it never felt like enough. On top of that, I had my own share of challenges to deal with - like losing my sister and my mother, who were two of the closest people to me in life.I also had to realize that I could never change Isaiah’s autism – no matter how many schools, or therapists, or other specialists I threw at it. Nor could I change any of the other challenges life threw at me. Isaiah and I had to learn how to accept our challenges, live with them and make the best of our lives, where we were, with what we had. And through it all, we’ve worked hard. Fought hard. Remained committed. Persistent. Determined. We have survived and thrived because of our commitment to self-acceptance and perseverance.
inspiring triumph over obstacles
When thinking about a legacy I want to leave my child and the world – it's about resilience. Rising above obstacles–against all odds Building all the character traits - like courage, strength, dedication, persistence - to do just that. Creating a path for others to realize their full potential. Victor Wear achieves these goals by:
• Selling apparel that inspires resilience
• Empowering neurodivergent individuals to be seen, heard, understood, accepted, and respected
• Creating a vibrant victor community who share motivational content and inspire each other
• Growing our brand, so we can become a major employer of the autism community.
We believe...
• Clothing ought to inspire. Wear it like your superman cape!
• Everyone deserves to be a victor and feel victorious.
• There's power in wearing inspiration. Wearing your story.
• Failure is learning. You can never fail if you try. Everyone gains and grows from trying. Trying is victory.
• No one should have to change to be a victor. Victors are those who embrace who they are and do their best-where they are with what they have.
• There is power in owning your issues or obstacles. We all face them. And the only way to actually conquer them is to acknowledge that they exist and work to overcome them. When you own your challenges, you take away anyone's power to put you down.