AMES, Iowa (KTIV) - When Manu Smriti watched clothes she designed and made being modeled on a New York City runway this fall, what made her the happiest was seeing the joy and comfort of the person wearing them.

The model, 14-year-old Raffy Paulino, nicknamed Rockstar, wore a flannel shirt, yellow T-shirt and jeans — all designed with his interests and needs in mind. Rockstar uses a wheelchair and other technology for movement, Smriti said, and he loves music, gaming and the color yellow.

“I was happy seeing him happy,” said Smriti, a hybrid doctoral student at Iowa State University studying apparel, merchandising and design. “He looked happy on the runway and confident, and all the pieces were showing their functionality and aesthetic.”

ISU students and faculty helped get children with

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