Each year, Otis College presents the most outstanding Senior student in the Fashion Department with the highest honor in Fashion Design: The Student Designer of the Year Fashion Award. This prestigious award recognizes excellence achieved in all areas of design, studio, portfolio development, and digital courses in high-end womenswear, or menswear. Nominations are submitted by the faculty, taking into account the highest GPA marks.
The Mentor Awards are bestowed on both Junior and Senior students who produce the most exceptional design work within their mentor team. Each Mentor recognizes one recipient who not only fulfills but surpasses the requirements designated for their given direction. In past years, the awards were named Silver Thimble Awards.
The Fashion Department provides several opportunities for students throughout the school year to participate in prominent design competitions. Contests include the prestigious CFDA Fashion Awards, Joe’s Blackbook, Disney Style, TV Academy Competition, YMA Fashion Scholarship, Swarovski Award, Vera Campbell Foundation Scholarship, among others. Winners receive grants and scholarships to help further their educational goals and career objectives.
Assembly member Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr. offered two awards to students who produced masks for the Fashion The Mask contest. Assembly member Jones-Sawyer represents the 59th District of South Los Angeles. Masks were donated to healthcare providers at the Keck Medical Center in response to higher demand for PPE due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Fashion The Mask Contest Winners - Isabella Lopez and Dora Yang
Designer of the Year 2021 - Julia Choi
2020 Joe's Blackbook Foundation Scholarship - Julia Choi
Fashion Scholarship Fund Winners - Caleb Stern, Phoung Nguyen, and Emmette De Zubiria.
Vera Campbell Scholarship 2020 Winner - Alice Cocchi
Fashion The Mask Contest Winners - Isabella Lopez and Dora Yang
2021 Group Scholarship Award - Caleb Stern
Academic Excellence Award - Juilia Choi
Designer of the Year 2020 - Verona Tu
Vera Campbell Scholarship 2020 Winner - Alice Cocchi
2020 Group Scholarship Award Winner - Lynn Kim
Student Designer of the Year 2019 - Soomin Chun
Fashion Scholarship Fund Winners - Elissa Perrin and Brielle Eshenour
Joe's Black Book Finalist - Hannah Hong
Vera Campbell Scholarship Winner - Caleb Stern
Student Designer of the Year 2018 - William Wang
Disney Design Challenge 2018 - Amber Wang, Oliver Zheng, and Gary Zheng
Joe's Black Book Competition Winner 2018 - Shirley Park (Womenswear)
Vera Campbell Scholarship: Jessica Medina
YMA Competition Winners: Melissa Marsella and Olivero Perez
Student Designer of the Year 2017 - Joanna Rubalcaba
Joe’s Black Book Competition Finalist – William Wang
Disney Design Challenge Winners (Disney Style web series)
1st place Bochao “Alice” Xuan, 2nd place Minji Park, 3rd place Jinny Song
California Fashion Foundation Scholarship Awards – Joanna Rubalcaba, Lillian Xie
Akiyama/Westcoast Knitwear Scholarship – Hannah Kim
Ben Maltz Scholarship – Lacey Dalimonte, Jin Young Lee
Benefit & Fashion Show Scholarship – Tiffany Son
Bob McKnight Endowed Scholarship – Minji Park
Brian Zientek Memorial Scholarship – Hannah Kim
Bruce and Nancy Newberg Fashion Scholarship – Cheryl Desvignes, Jinny Song
Carol Anderson by invitation Scholarship Endowment – Nicholas Dolcini
Carushka Fashion Design Scholarship – Shenna Artusio, Dylan Cai, Cheryl Desvignes, Keely
Gallagher, Siana Kim, Minji Park
David Narva Memorial Scholarship – Siyoung “Chloe” Maeng
Dr. Jack Handford Memorial Scholarship – Cheryl Desvignes, Jinny Song
Fashion Scholarship – Hana Choi, Nicholas Dolcini, Natalie Fonseca, Yena Jeong,
Hyunji “Hailey” Lee, Joanna Rubalcaba
Fashion Scholarship Fund YMA – Natalie Fonseca, Inda Kalivoda, Brittney Sabet
Guess?/Marciano Fashion Scholarship – Siana Kim
Hannah S. Winderman Memorial Scholarship – Yongxun An, Hana Choi
Hurley Family Endowed Scholarship – Minji Park
Industry Partners Scholarship – Anjali Read
NAMSB Foundation Scholarship – Yongxun An
Nike Endowment for Fashion Scholarship – Shenna Artusio, Hana Choi, Nicholas Dolcini,
Natalie Fonseca, Yoo Mee Kang, Siana Kim, Hyunji “Hailey” Lee, Ji Hyun “Diana” Lee,
Hansol “Doris” Yoo
Phillip Rosenberg Memorial Scholarship – Natalie Fonseca
Rose Brantley Endowed Scholarship – Minji Park
The Group Scholarship – Anjali Read
Warnaco/Stuart Buchalter Memorial Scholarship – Anjali Read
Vera Campbell Scholarship – Brielle Eshenour
Student Designer fo the Year 2016: Kat Strait
Joe’s Black Book Winner – Yongxun An
Television Academy Foundation Costume Design Winner - “Baek” Baik
California Fashion Foundation Scholarship Awards – Sadaf Foroutani Yazdi
Akiyama/Westcoast Knitwear Scholarship – Wenxi Zhu
Brian Zientek Memorial Scholarship – Nona Harutyunyan
Brother Scholarship – Siana Kim, Sujeong
Bruce and Nancy Newberg Fashion Scholarship – Soojin Lee
Carol Anderson by invitation Scholarship Endowment – Khanhlinh Su
David Narva Memorial Scholarship – Yujing Ma
Dr. Jack Handford Memorial Scholarship – Yongxun An
Fashion Scholarship – Keely Gallagher, Yeji Jun, Siana Kim, Joanna Rubalcaba,
Stacey Song
Guess?/Marciano Fashion Scholarship – Michelle Kim, Joanna Rubalcaba
Hannah S. Winderman Memorial Scholarship – Cheryl Desvignes
NAMSB Foundation Scholarship – Yongxun An
Nike Endowment for Fashion Scholarship – Alysha Aguilar, Yongxun An, Hana Choi, Cheryl
Desvignes, Nona Harutyunyan, Michelle Kim, Soojin Lee, YuJing Ma, Siyong “Chloe”
Maeng, Anjali Read, Joanna Rubalcaba, Khanhlinh Su, Wenxi Su
Phillip Rosenberg Memorial Scholarship – Hana Choi
Rose Brantley Endowed Scholarship – Alysha Aguilar
The Group Scholarship – Jinny Song
Warnaco/Stuart Buchalter Memorial Scholarship – Michelle Kim
William Randolph Hearst Foundation – “Baek” Baik