Fashion Scholarship Fund

08/26/2026

Thank you to our friends at WWD for sharing a recap of our 2026 , and to all of our speakers for sharing such inspiring and valuable insights. Click here: https://wwd.com/business-news/business-features/2026-fashion-scholarship-fund-summer-series-fashion-leaders-1239148187/ to read more now!

Fashion Scholarship Fund's 2026 Summer Series featured top industry leaders sharing insights to guide and inspire the next generation of talent.

08/25/2026

Today's spotlights 2026 Virgil Abloh™️ "Post-Modern" Scholar Maya Peats, who recently joined REVOLVE as an Assistant Designer in their Downtown LA offices!

"One of the biggest things I've learned in my first job is how important it is to balance being flexible while staying organized. With the fast pace of the fashion industry, I've had to learn how to shift priorities when something urgent comes up, while still keeping track of everything else I'm working on. I've also realized how important soft skills are. Communication, time management, teamwork, empathy, and having a positive attitude are just as important as having strong technical design skills.

A typical day for me includes attending fittings, researching inspiration for upcoming collections, sketching into concepts, communicating with vendors, and working with cross-functional teams throughout the design process. One of my favorite experiences so far has been sketching into concepts for an upcoming collection and seeing those ideas move through development.

My education at Otis College of Art and Design gave me the technical foundation to step into this role, while my experience with FSF helped me become more comfortable networking, making meaningful first impressions, and building professional relationships."

Thanks for sharing with us, Maya, and congrats on your new role! Click here: https://www.fashionscholarshipfund.org/2026-scholars/maya-peats to connect with her on LinkedIn now.

08/25/2026

Breaking news: we hit 20K on Instagram! 🏆

That’s 20,000 people following along as we celebrate our Scholars, share their accomplishments, and spotlight the next generation of our industry. Thanks for following, and for being a part of our FSF community! Click the link in our bio to learn about our work now.

A special shoutout to 2023 and 2024 FSF Scholar (and very talented creative) Melissa Richardson of Savannah College of Art and Design for creating this custom animation in honor of our milestone. Visit her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/melmadeart to see more of her work. Thank you, Melissa!

08/24/2026

Join us on Monday, August 31st for Breathe + Restore, the next session in our Well-Being for Real Life Series, a mental health and wellness initiative designed to offer practical, real-life tools for navigating stress in a way that feels sustainable.

Whether you're experiencing end-of-summer blues or apprehension about fashion week and the upcoming season, this 60-minute guided breathwork experience led by facilitator Bri Renko will explore how stress shows up in the body and introduce simple breathing techniques designed to support focus, calm, and an everyday reset.

Join us virtually from a quiet space wherever you are, and leave with a personal toolkit of breathing practices you can return to at any time.

Click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/SpvzYTCESM29s7LbmrfihA #/registration to RSVP now.

08/22/2026

Today's : Class of 2026 FSF Scholar Beau Rosin of Colorado State University, who spent his summer as Apparel Design Intern at Abercrombie & Fitch Co.!

"Coming into my role working with the Hollister Co. Men's Fleece team with limited experience designing knits, I enjoyed expanding my understanding of fleece design, product development, and the Hollister brand. Two major highlights were my cross-functional group case study, which challenged me to collaborate with partners across multiple areas of the business, and my individual internship project, for which I applied my technical design skills to create an outdoor-inspired collection focused on functional and innovative fleece design."

Thanks for sharing with us, Beau, and congrats on this opportunity! Click here: https://www.fashionscholarshipfund.org/2026-scholars/beau-rosin now to learn more about him and to connect with him on LinkedIn.

08/21/2026

Thank you to RETAILBOSS for the spotlight on this summer's FSF Mentoring Event hosted by Bloomingdale's! Read more about the experience, which brought FSF Scholars together to hear about navigating the industry from members of our Alumni community, here:

Industry professionals from Bloomingdale's shared practical advice on transitioning from academia to a successful career in luxury retail.

08/21/2026

Thank you to our friends at Bloomingdale's for hosting “Corporate Pathways,” the latest edition of our FSF Summer Mentoring Series, which brings FSF Scholars together to learn from industry leaders, including members of the FSF Alumni community. A special thanks to 2024 FSF Chairman's Award Winner Olivia Meyer, who is now a member of the Bloomingdale's buying team, for joining us!

The event offered a focused look at early-career opportunities within a major retailer, beginning with an interactive panel and followed by small-group conversations on relevant topics. Together, these discussions gave attendees a practical understanding of retail strategy and the day-to-day realities of working in a corporate environment.

We’re grateful to everyone who participated in this session, which centered on actionable skills, career navigation, and tangible next steps for entering the fashion industry. 🏆

08/20/2026

Exciting news from 2023 and 2024 FSF Scholar Melissa Richardson on publishing "GEO-TALES: SE Asia Edition," a 400-page series of 14 hand-illustrated stories that follow Melissa's character, Joanie, on her journey throughout Southeast Asia, highlighting conservation efforts, endangered species, and more.

Pre-order her book and learn more about her work here: https://www.melmakes.com/

Congrats, Melissa!

is an epic illustrated adventure that combines rhyming, storytelling, real-world travel, conservation, and hands-on exploration. As Joanie journeys across Southeast Asia, you'll discover wildlife, history, and diverse cultures while completing creative activities and outdoor challenges that inspire....

08/19/2026

Today's : Class of 2026 Virgil Abloh™️ "Post-Modern" Scholar Christian Williams of The University of Texas at Austin, who spent the month of July interning with PlayLab in Los Angeles!

Watch as Christian shares highlights of his experience, and click here: https://www.fashionscholarshipfund.org/2026-scholars/christian-williams to learn more about him and to connect with him on LinkedIn. Congrats on this opportunity, Christian!

08/19/2026

This past June, our seven 2026 Nordstrom x FSF Scholars traveled to Seattle for a two-day immersion with the Nordstrom team, and had a meaningful experence with fellow FSF partner Tommy Bahama, where Scholars explored the brand's headquarters and gained additional insight into the many career paths within the retail industry.

Read more about their trip on THE LATEST, FSF's editorial platform:

One of the benefits of becoming an FSF Named Scholar is the exclusive access Scholars gain to the partner behind their Scholarship. One of the best examples is the Nordstrom x FSF Scholarship Program. Each year, Nordstrom welcomes its Nordstrom x FSF Scholars to its Seattle headquarters for an immer