Fashion Scholarship Fund Drops ‘YMA,’ Redefines Its Identity
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Fashion Scholarship Fund has graduated into a new brand identity. While the New York City-based organization was founded in 1937 on the premise of advancing social and business good, it only recently made the decision to revive its long-standing identity.
For many, the “YMA” preceding Fashion Scholarship Fund drew some eyebrows. Enough to warrant a departure from the Young Menswear Association, dropping it from the new FSF logo and swapping previous colored renditions for sleek black-and-white lettering.
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Peter Arnold, executive director of the newly minted Fashion Scholarship Fund (absent of its limitations by “Young Menswear Association”) said the new logo is a “cleaner, clearer and more fashionable way to brand ourselves.”
Coming off of its first West Coast talent acquisition in October, Arnold describes a renewed energy for the 38-strong industry leaders comprising its board members and its talent community reigning from 62 partner schools, both public and private.
Much of the momentum is channeled to the FSF annual awards gala this January which will celebrate this year’s honorees: Jennifer Hyman, cofounder and chief executive officer of Rent the Runway, “Fashion Revolutionary of the Year;” Minka Kelly, actor and FashionAble partner, “Social Impact Trailblazer of the Year;” and Jason Rabin, ceo of Centric Brands, “Business Visionary of the Year.”
As the industry evolves so rapidly, FSF wants to ensure its talent pool is able to meet the needs of the industry — across a breadth of disciplines such as design, supply chain, analytics and so forth. Having the right training is crucial.
Another aspect Arnold mentioned is the lack of representation of talent, but said: “our numbers speak to a community of underrepresented.” He hopes to continue bridging opportunity for the underrepresented in not just fashion, but adjacent industries like beauty and retail.
That can take a more literal form. FSF aims to give the same opportunity to those in “far-flung” or landlocked universities. “We fly all 215 of them to New York for the gala,” said Arnold. Some 1,400 attendees are expected at the New York Hilton in what Arnold anticipates as a “really powerful, emotional night.”
The FSF’s new web site will be rolled out before the gala, with the first public debut of the new logo, colors and identity also anticipated this January.
For More, See:
Intern Spotlight: FSF’s Scholars Tackle Merchandising, Supply Chain
Intern Spotlight: Adventuring to Archives, Showrooms With FSF Interns
Intern Spotlight: The Capstone Project and What’s Next
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