Virgil Abloh Raises $1 Million to Support Black Students Furthering Careers in the Fashion Industry
“I’ve always been passionate about giving the next generation of students the same foundation for success that was given to me.”
Photo: Getty Images
Virgil Abloh is investing in the future of Black students. The multi-hyphenate creative—who is the artistic director of Louis Vuttion’s menswear collection and founder of his own buzzy label, Off-White—has announced that he has raised US$1 million through the recently minted Virgil Abloh™️ "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships to Black individuals looking to take up careers in the fashion industry. Not only will the organisation offer financial support, but it will also provide mentoring and access to career services.
"I've always been passionate about giving the next generation of students the same foundation for success that was given to me,” Abloh said in a statement. “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.”
FSF refers to the Fashion Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit that fosters workforce development in the U.S. that will help manage the programme. The organisation already awards $1.2 million each year to promising academics looking to succeed in disparate sectors of fashion—from design and merchandising to marketing and analytics.
“At the heart of the FSF’s mission is elevating the voices and creative visions of talented youth from underrepresented backgrounds who are the future leaders of our industry,” said Peter Arnold, the organisation's executive director. “Virgil is a trailblazer and a game-changer, leveraging his considerable influence to effect change from within. We are grateful to have this opportunity to partner with him and his partners to impact the lives of so many deserving young people.”
Some of these partners include Louis Vuitton, Evian, Farfetch, and the New Guards Group, who, along with Abloh, contributed to the sizeable endowment. All are dedicated to stimulating inclusion in the fashion industry. As Abloh affirmed, “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 organisations.”
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR US.
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