Otis College Fashion Design Students Honored with Industry Scholarships
Students receive mentoring and access to career opportunities, in addition to monetary awards.
Several Otis College Fashion Design juniors and seniors have received prestigious scholarships this academic year, continuing a legacy for the esteemed program. The Fashion Scholarship Fund, Gucci Changemakers, and Advance Denim have all bestowed awards on Otis students for their exceptional work.
Fashion Design senior Maya Peats recently was announced as a recipient of the Fashion Scholarship Fund’s Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship, which was created to expand opportunities in the fashion industry by providing scholarships to students who identify as Black or African American and reflect the creativity, curiosity, and progressive spirit that drive this work forward. The Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) is the foremost fashion-oriented education and workforce development nonprofit organization in the United States.
Abloh was the Artistic Director of menswear at Louis Vuitton before his death in 2021.
Throughout his career, he focused on breaking barriers and creating opportunities
across artistic disciplines. Before his death, Abloh named his named FSF fund “Post-Modern”
to signify that recipients would not only receive funds, but also ongoing career-support
services and mentoring through the FSF.
Every Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholar receives at least $10,000 in scholarship
money and participates in career-focused educational and professional development
classes, networking opportunities, and talent acquisition events throughout the year.
FSF staff works with these scholars to connect them to one-on-one mentorship opportunities
with industry leaders and access to career opportunities.
Last fall, Otis announced that Peats also was one of 12 national recipients of a Gucci Changemakers Scholarship, which comes with a $20,000 award. She is the third Otis College student to take home the prestigious award since the program launched in 2019.
In addition to the monetary award, Peats has received mentorship and internship opportunities
through Gucci America, the U.S. subsidiary of the Italian luxury fashion brand. She
joined fellow awardees from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of
Design, Howard University, and the Savannah College of Art and Design, among others.
The Fashion Scholarship Fund also has recognized Otis College Fashion Design junior Anastasia Fedorova and seniors Emily Lavell and Violet Kim with awards this academic year. Kim’s award is for a case study project in which
she reimagined Nike outfits for the USA Paralympic team going to the 2026 Milan Cortina
Winter Paralympics. Her study was an inclusive, tech-forward collaboration focused
on accessibility, adaptability, and performance. She will receive $10,000 in scholarship
money.
In March all four FSF recipients will fly to New York City for a gala reception, which
will provide another impactful opportunity to connect with industry members and other
partner institutions. Otis faculty member Daniel Toney will travel to New York to
support the students.
Lastly, Fashion Design junior Silverio Indigo Vazquez was announced as a recipient
of Advance Denim’s 3x Market Opportunity Award, a competition among emerging designers
who are pushing innovation in digital denim creation. Vazquez’s collection in his
application embodied a Y3K aesthetic in men’s fashion, using structural silhouettes,
layered elements, and a sense of protection. In addition to a monetary award, Vazquez
also had his winning garment produced by Advance Denim.
Fashion Design Chair Jill Zelznik, Assistant Chair Mitra Rajabi, and instructor Daniel Toney have been instrumental in guiding students through the rigorous application processes for these esteemed scholarships. This is in alignment with the program’s goal of developing professional fashion designers who are sought out by the industry based on the strength of students’ professional portfolios and well-developed interview skills. Presenting their work, submitting portfolios, and interviewing for scholarships are some of the building blocks the Fashion Design program instills in its students in the lead-up to graduation.
More information about the Fashion Design program.
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