A 14 year old artist, budding fashion designer and entrepreneur from Chapin was recently featured on The Today Show. For the last two years, Lila Mozingo has been involved in a partnership between Camp Cole in Columbia and the New York clothing brand Alivia. The partnership gives children with disabilities a unique opportunity to be in the spotlight.
Alivia has taken Lila’s art creations and incorporated them into fashionable dresses and tops while marketing them nationwide.
Camp Cole is a year round establishment in Columbia for young adults navigating illness and disability. Alivia’s founder, Jovana Mullins, became aware of Camp Cole through social media when she saw the cofounder, Margaret Deans Grantz, wearing one of her dresses. She reached out and offered a collaboration with the camp. It didn’t take long before designs were submitted and the creations were started.
Jovana used the art created by Lila and three other campers as patterns and designs in her fashion line. The young artists are involved in every stage of the process, from initial designs to marketing and even a walk down the runway in a fashion show modeling their wares. To see Lila’s fashions, go to shopalivia.com.
The Today Show brought their producers to Columbia and filmed a segment for the show featuring Lila and three others. Lila’s favorite things to paint are flowers, rainbows and Clemson paws. The segment consisted of the girl’s stories and struggles to their art and designs and even a runway walk modeling their work, showing the world that there are no limits to what’s next. Some proceeds of the sales go back to Camp Cole. Craig Melvin of the Today Show hosted the segment.
Lila’s story started before she was born when her parents, Mark and Padgett, found out that she had a heart defect and Down syndrome. They were warned that their baby would most likely have no quality of life, not be able to communicate or have mobility. The couple was encouraged to terminate the pregnancy by Padgett’s doctor, but instead decided to see her child born through love and faith.
The Mozingo family took on the challenges of raising a child with special needs and have now championed a cause to dispel the myths of Down syndrome. Lila had to overcome major surgeries and navigate education choices from home schooling to private schools, while her parents fought for her inclusion in many things that children with non disabilities enjoy. “Choose to be a part of accepting everyone around you,” said Padgett. “We are all truly more alike than different anyway.”
Lila’s parents want to ensure that their daughter will enjoy an independent future and be a contributor to the community as well. Lila’s Sweet Treats was a concept created to teach Lila life skills while raising funds for her education. Operating as a cottage industry bakery, Lila and her family create breads and other sweet treats that are sold locally, at community markets and by home delivery. Look for them at Boland’s Ace Hardware, Lake Murray Drug Company, Knick Knacks & More and Artistic Aspirations. The Mozingo family is working toward a commercial kitchen that will allow them to expand and create employment opportunities for others in our community with disabilities. To help with Lila’s efforts, go to limitlesslila.com and select the Lila’s Sweet Treats tab.
When Lila was asked what she would like people to know about her she responded, “I give great hugs and I am limitless!”
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