By: CASSANDRA PINTRO + APRIL 4, 2023
Last night in Chelsea, New York, the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) held its 86th annual award ceremony celebrating fashion’s next generation and honoring its leaders. As a nonprofit organization supporting students in the fashion industry through a network of 70 colleges and universities FSF works to uplift youths of various diverse backgrounds. Each year FSF awards more than $1 million in scholarships to support these luminaries looking to advance the future of fashion as we know it.
This year, FSF recognized two forces of fashion Anna Wintour—chief content officer, Condé Nast, and global editorial director, Vogue—and Emma Grede—co-founder & CEO of Good American, founding partner of Skims and chairwoman of The Fifteen Percent Pledge—for their influence and impact on the industry. Wintour, who was introduced by Naecia Dixon (last year’s recipient of the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholar and winner of the 2022 FSF Chairman’s Award) was honored for her dedication to emerging youth and talent. Where Grede was recognized for her passion for championing a more diverse industry through representation.
The event also highlighted FSF’s four scholar finalists, who presented their respective case studies to the audience, each addressing a major opportunity to change the fashion industry for the better, ranging from sustainability to accessibility. The finalists included Olivia Baba, Washington University in St. Louis; Clay Lute, LIM College; Sofia Enriquez, University of Florida; and Julian Tong, University of Minnesota. Lute, the FSF Class of 2023 Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholar, was later awarded the $25,000 Chairman’s Award.
“May we all try to do just a little of what [Abloh] did to keep our future in good hands,” shared Wintour. Notable guests supporting the work of the students included supermodel and host Karlie Kloss, Shannon Abloh, Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger, Sergio Hudson, Heron Preston, Todd Snyder, Phillip Lim, Linda Fargo, Emily Bode, and Rickie de Sole.