Off-White and Louis Vuitton titan Virgil Abloh has launched an all-new scholarship and mentoring program for young black creatives in the fashion industry.
Raising an initial pool of one million dollars through his own personal donation and donations from companies he’s worked with, Abloh announced that the Virgil Abloh “POST MODERN” Scholarship Fund will be overseen in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund (a longstanding premier scholarship foundation for fashion students in the US).
In Virgil’s words:
“I’ve always been passionate about giving the next generation of students the same foundation for success that was given to me. That’s why I’m excited to launch this Fund in partnership with the FSF, which has an outstanding track record of helping college students achieve successful careers. I’m also grateful to my partners for their donations, which are just a part of the long-term commitments I am working on with them to create greater opportunities for Black people inside and outside of their organizations.”
The Fund’s mission is “to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry by providing scholarships to students of academic promise of Black, African-American, or African descent.” The organization won’t stop there, however; recipients and participants will also have access to world-class mentoring, networking, and career services not traditionally offered by similar foundations. The organization’s founding comes in the midst of a significant worldwide push against police brutality and for black power and equality.
More info on the Virgil Abloh “POST MODERN” Scholarship Fund can be found on Abloh’s website.
