By Obi Anyanwu
PacSun and Fashion Scholarship Fund on Thursday have unveiled two collections from Oli Carrillo and Allegra Abrams, the winners of their Gender-Neutral Design Competition.
The partners announced the initiative in spring 2021 and - with a judging panel comprised of Fashion Scholarship Fund executive director Peter Arnold; PacSun co-chief executive officer Alfred Chang and vice president of men’s merchandising Richard Cox; Them. editor in chief Whembley Sewell, stylist Ashley Cimone, the co-founder of New York-based design label ASHYA; founder of The Shop Miami, Calyann Barnett, and creative director/designer and stylist Jérôme LaMaar - selected the winners from more than 200 submissions, including FSF Alumni and Class of 2021 FSF Scholars.
“We are so pleased to see the creative visions of our Alumni - Oli Carrillo and Allegra Abrams - come to life as the culmination of this incredibly rewarding partnership,” said FSF executive director Arnold in a statement. “The FSF shares PacSun’s commitment to providing a more diverse and inclusive space for young talent, from all backgrounds, to thrive within the fashion industry.”
2018 FSF Scholar and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles graduate Carrillo and 2021 FSF Virgil Abloh™ Post-Modern Scholar and University of Wisconsin, Madison student Abrams won the opportunity to develop and manufacture the co-branded collections to be taken to market.
Though from New York, Carrillo found inspiration from the SoCal skate scene, punk rock and graffiti for their collection, and said: “It was important for me to look at a juxtaposition of energy and mannerisms when designing graphics. I want to cater to a contrasting binary of emotion, so that the graphics and prints don’t stick to singular femininity or masculinity. It was important to mix both masculine and feminine in the same image(s) so that these graphics stand on their own, so that they could be styled in any sort of closet or outfit.”
Meanwhile, Abrams, from Minneapolis, aimed to reflect merging traditional masculine and feminine designs and push for inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry with the “Love to the People” collection.
“My aesthetic as a designer focuses on aspects of ‘70s fashion and referencing Black culture,” Abrams said. “This collection incorporates my personal design and style aesthetic with the sporty and retro garments. Most importantly, the ‘Love to the People’ collection represents my constant focus to push inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry.”
PacSun president Brieane Olson said the partnership with FSF, specifically watching the young talents bring their ideas to life, has been “tremendously rewarding.” PacSun design director Dom Chavez added: “Working with the FSF designers was an inspiring process. Seeing the strong and passionate vision of the youth come to life was truly gratifying. Both designers had a clear perspective, and being able to help execute that perspective at such an early point in their careers reminds us all of the reasons we got into this business.”
The collections are available now for three months on the PacSun website and at select locations nationwide.
In addition, the retailer is a sponsor of the FSF Scholarship program and granted 10 recipients 2022 PacSun Scholarships and grants of $7,500 earlier this year.