Virgil Abloh Launches $1 Million Scholarship Fund for Black Students
Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton men's wear and the founder of luxury streetwear label Off-White, today launched a $1 million scholarship for “students of academic promise of Black, African-American, or of African descent.”
Abloh is among the only Black designers leading a French luxury goods house—Rihanna, whose Fenty is also owned by conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy, and Olivier Rousteing, of Balmain, are the others—and he said the scholarship drive is in part an effort to diversity the design ranks at fashion's highest levels.
"I’m 39 years old and it’s taken me that time to work to get here and prove my pedigree and to be in a position to activate change," Abloh told Vogue.com.
Vuitton contributed to the Virgil Abloh™ Post-Modern Scholarship Fund alongside some of the designer's other frequent collaborators, like Evian, the New Guards Group, and Farfetch. It will be managed under the Fashion Scholarship Fund, an 83-year-old organization that helps young creatives break into the industry.
American fashion, needless to say, also has a diversity issue. Though many American labels are helmed by Black designers, as of 2018 less than 10 percent of the designers who presented at New York Fashion Week were Black.
“By the metrics we’re projecting we’ll put 100 kids, Black kids, through a wide spectrum of educational institutions,” Abloh said. Even beyond the scholarship, these students will be following Abloh’s lead in the industry.
Giving back seems to have been a particular focus for Abloh this year, despite a few setbacks. In February he partnered with Evian to offer a €50,000 (approximately $56,440) grant to designers, ages 18 to 35, proposing sustainable initiatives. Additionally, he is on several committees to promote diversity in fashion, including the board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, where only three percent of its members are Black.
However, he was criticized earlier in June for his comments on social media about the Black Lives Matter movement. As part of his response, he auctioned off a pair of unreleased Off-White sneakers for more than $185,000 and donated the proceeds to an anti-racist organization in the U.K. “I’m a passionate designer and artist,” Abloh told Fast Company. “I’m not versed in public speaking, especially on topics that are quickly evolving. I’m not made for a podium, but I’ll design a podium that ushers in systemic change.”
Details of the scholarship will be released later this summer.
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