A MOMENT BUILT OVER TIME
When Fatmata Camara took the stage at FSF LIVE 2025, it marked the culmination of a three-year journey with the Fashion Scholarship Fund. She first applied as a sophomore in 2023, submitting her case study from the sales floor of a retail job, with her laptop open at 10 a.m., just hours before the deadline. That first year, she was focused on the scholarship’s financial opportunity. With each subsequent submission, she expanded her thinking, strengthened her confidence, and sharpened her strategic lens.
Standing at the podium this year, introduced by 2022 Chairman’s Award winner Clay Lute, the same person she had watched speak during her first FSF gala, Fatmata recognized the moment's significance. “I remember thinking, that’s scary—but also really cool,” she said. “I wondered if I could ever do that. Being up there three years later felt like something I had manifested.”
INNOVATION INSPIRED BY CAT LITTER (REALLY)
Fatmata’s 2025 award-winning case study, Smart React, grew out of an unlikely source: a Shark Tank segment about cat litter that changes color based on the animal’s health. She applied the same logic to skincare, wondering, “What if a product could detect hormonal changes in real-time and provide users with insight into their skin?”
Though not a science student by background, she immersed herself in facial chemistry, pH levels, biosensitive materials, and AI. She explored tools like drug tests that change color based on chemical presence and border-screening sensors powered by biosensors—technologies that became the foundation for Smart React.
To bring the idea to life, she chose The Ordinary as her target brand, attracted to its reputation for accessible, science-backed skincare. She also factored in The Ordinary’s acquisition by Estée Lauder and its partnership with Microsoft to ensure her idea could realistically scale. Fatmata was mindful of how tech is applied in beauty and retail, saying, “I didn’t want to build something that made people feel invisible. I’ve worked in retail. I’ve seen what happens when tech takes people’s jobs. AI should support people, not sideline them.”
Smart React combines biosensors and digital experiences to provide consumers with real-time insights into their skin. For The Ordinary, it opens up new opportunities to engage users across e-commerce and retail, while unlocking growth across Estée Lauder’s global portfolio.
Fatmata’s Smart React case study combines AI-driven biosensors with digital experience to personalize skincare for The Ordinary, strengthening consumer engagement, expanding e-commerce, and in-store.
BUILDING BEYOND THE STAGE
Fatmata’s impact extends far beyond her FSF case study. She’s currently developing a nonprofit to support immigrants—an effort rooted in her own lived experience. She and her wife are also in the early stages of starting a family.
She’s returning to her roots as an artist, too. In high school, she painted and sketched with fine-tip markers; now, she’s exploring digital art as a means to express herself creatively outside of a corporate structure.
Through FSF, Fatmata built relationships that shaped her approach to leadership and career growth. She worked with mentors at Macy’s and Neiman Marcus, and connected with past Chairman’s Award winners Clay Lute and Olivia Meyer. Those conversations helped her build skills in research, communication, and critical thinking—skills she’s now eager to pass along.
“I want to be the kind of mentor where no question is off-limits,” she explained. “If someone wants to talk about salary negotiations or ask why a 401(k) matters, I want them to feel like they can.”
Her outlook is grounded and pragmatic. “It’s okay to start small,” she said. “You don’t need to have everything figured out from the beginning. Starting small helped me get clear on what I want and where I want to go.”
Fatmata graduated from LIM College on May 9. That evening, she celebrated at a Kendrick Lamar concert—a reminder, she said, that “big milestones deserve joy.” Looking ahead, she added, “I want to keep creating spaces—through my work, my art, and my community—where people feel seen, valued, and powerful. That’s the future I’m building, one step at a time.”
At the FSF LIVE, Fatmata wore a custom look inspired by the ocean surrounding her home country of Sierra Leone. The mermaid-like textures and details reflected her heritage, identity, and personal narrative, folded seamlessly into her style. Photo courtesy of Matt Borkowski
Fatmata celebrating after officially becoming a U.S. citizen in April 2025. Photo courtesy of Fatmata Camara.
From left to right: Fashion Scholarship Fund 2025 finalists Flora Medina, Fatmata Camara, Colm Dillane aka KidSuper, Ryan Cheung, and Chloe Allen. Photo courtesy of Fatmata Camara.
📲 Follow Fatmata’s journey: @jesuisfatmata | LinkedIn
