The Toyota Dual Hero Project brings fashion that is inclusive and genuinely functional.
Launched by Borneo Motors Singapore, together with Global Team Toyota Athlete Toh Wei Soong and LASALLE College of the Arts, the project traces its roots to Toyota’s global Start Your Impossible initiative, which champions athletes who redefine limits and drive social impact within their communities. Over time, the project has matured into a platform of its own, one that channels the same spirit of purpose, but applies it through design, creativity and collaboration.
This year, the project gains added depth with Toh Wei Soong stepping into the role of Industry Mentor. Known to many as a decorated para swimmer, Wei Soong also brings a sharp eye from his work in fashion and cultural publishing.
“Inclusive design begins with understanding, understanding how people move, dress, and express themselves in their everyday lives,” Wei Soong shared. “Our goal was to create clothing that supports independence without compromising style.”
Students from LASALLE’s BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles programme were tasked with a brief that resists shortcuts: design for real users, real bodies and real challenges. This meant studying how individuals with disabilities dress day to day, where conventional clothing fails, and how small interventions can restore dignity and autonomy.
Buttons give way to magnetic fastenings. Decorative elements double as braille, hand-embroidered into the fabric. Silhouettes are rethought for one-handed dressing, and garments are shaped to accommodate seated wearers without visual compromise.
One standout design by Abinaya D/o Muthuraja, worn by Wei Soong himself, features an open-back construction that removes the need to lift the arms while dressing. The trousers mirror this approach, enabling wearers to dress while seated.
Even the sleeves transform into a functional storage bag, a practical nod to the limited carrying space wheelchair users often contend with.
Inclusivity, after all, is not complete without visibility. Toyota has once again partnered Singapore Fashion Runway (SFR), a social enterprise founded in 2015 that works closely with persons with disabilities and disadvantaged communities. This year’s collection is jointly presented by Toyota and SFR, with SFR’s beneficiaries themselves taking centre stage as models.
For Mr Ng Khee Siong, Managing Director of Borneo Motors Singapore, the project reflects Toyota’s broader worldview. “Mobility goes beyond vehicles,” he noted. “It is about empowering individuals to move freely, express themselves, and participate fully in everyday life.”
That philosophy is also manifested in a distinctly Toyota flourish: a selected student textile design has been transformed into a custom car wrap for the new Corolla Cross. The vehicle, alongside the full fashion collection, is showcased at Toyota World, 33 Leng Kee Road, until 14 December.
“Our students were not only able to apply their skills in real-world design,” said Nur Hidayah, Dean of the Faculty of Design, “but also gained a clear understanding of the functional considerations in designing for persons with disabilities.”
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