Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Deney

Hi Julia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

I founded Sense-ational You shortly after graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Fashion Design in 2020. While at Cornell, I established and ran a volunteer partnership with a local autism preschool and, from this passion, focused my studies on adaptive clothing for autistic children. Parents and educators from the school brought to my attention the struggles their children face with clothing, and I worked closely with them to research and develop solutions. The College of Human Ecology selected me to be the college’s representative and present my business plan before a special committee of Cornell trustees. This was the first time I stepped back from my creative work and saw the impact it could have if I turned it into a company. While developing the product and growing Sense-ational You after graduation, I worked as a special education para in autism classrooms for three years. During this time, I got to work hands-on with autistic children and the therapists and teachers who would be integrating the clothes into the school days and recommending these products to parents. During my first week in the school, a girl was not lining up to go to the next class when she was usually the first to listen. I noticed her tugging at a tag in her shirt right away. I quickly walked over and cut her tag out. She instantly lined up and had a great day. This small moment cemented to me why Sense-ational You needs to exist. Not everyone would have recognized why she wasn’t paying attention or “listening” and may have unfairly reprimanded her. There were many moments like this during my time in education where the root of a behavior was dysregulation or an unmet sensory need. It is a goal of mine to not only create solutions for sensory problems, but to also use Sense-ational You to educate on sensory needs and why someone might need tagless clothing or a shirt with compression in it to be successful.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It has definitely not been a smooth road. As a solo founder, I am no stranger to challenges and mistakes. One of the biggest challenges early on was how many garment variations I got manufactured for our first launch. I wanted to ensure everyone had options to fit color and sensory preferences, which, in hindsight, would create a bigger challenge of handling and managing that inventory. We offered the same styles in 2-3 colors and our t–shirts and hoodies, both with and without the adaptive sensory features. This was great for giving choices and having a fuller website but also led to a lot of inventory, that I had a lot of money tied up in, as a new small business.
I then had more inventory remaining of these original styles than anticipated because no launch goes perfectly as planned. This forced me to lean on my current network and build new connections to learn the best way to proceed. I should have launched with a couple of signature products to gauge customer reactions and feedback so I could be more flexible and responsive. It was a very important learning experience as it moved forward.

As you know, we’re big fans of Sense-ational You. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?

Sense-ational You is an adaptive clothing brand on a mission to increase the inclusion and academic success of autistic and disabled children through clothing that helps them regulate. Traditional sensory tools can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and invite unwelcomed attention. Sense-ational You offers a solution by discreetly incorporating sensory tools into clothing, ensuring comfort, style, and effective regulation.

An estimated 90% of the 1 in 36 with autism and the 1 in 10 with ADHD have Sensory Processing Disorder. This means that they process the world around us differently, from the feeling of different textures to the intensity of sound and light. Unmet sensory needs and sensory overload contribute to an inability to focus and learn in school, exclusion from activities with peers, as well as a variety of upsetting and disruptive behaviors, including aggression towards oneself or others. Sense-ational You’s sensory clothing helps solve this problem through hidden functionality so that all children can have the confidence to be themselves. All Sense-ational You’s clothing is free of sensory irritants like rough fabrics, tags, and bulky seams, which often feel annoying and painful to those with sensory processing differences. Many of our clothes go beyond this to become sensory tools children can wear to regulate anywhere they go. We offer shirts with adjustable built-in compression (so there is no need to carry around and wrestle your child into a vest), hoodies with a sound-reducing hood and optional eye mask to pull down for a full sensory break anywhere, and joggers with a built-in magnetic pocket fidget. Our goal is also to foster independence. Many children with autism and other disabilities struggle with the fine motor skills required to do zippers, buttons, and snaps, so we make all our hoodies with magnetic closures and pants with elastic waistbands. These unique sensory features allow children to feel safe, heard, and regulated no matter where they are.

One thing I want to emphasize to your readers is that adaptive fashion is not just for one specific group. It benefits everyone. While we use magnetic closures for those who can’t do zippers and buttons, they can just be a fun, easy closure for anyone! And while not everyone may struggle with overstimulation from noise, our sound-reducing hoodie with an eye mask is great for plane travel or taking a nap in the car. By shopping for and supporting adaptive fashion, you can help foster greater understanding and inclusion for all, and be part of a community that values comfort, style, and functionality for everyone.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?

My business would not exist right now if it weren’t for Covid. What seemed like a disaster at the time, graduating in 2020 with no option to go immediately into a corporate fashion job, forced me to listen to and act on my true desire to continue my work in adaptive fashion. Covid taught me that you have to be brave and trust your instincts. Covid also taught me that anything can happen, and you need to be ready to adapt both personally and professionally.

Pricing:

• Sound Reducing Hoodies from $50
• Compression Shirts from $35
• Sensory Friendly Joggers from $40

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopsenseationalyou.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senseational_you/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopsenseationalyou
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-deney-a07a87122/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@senseational_you