VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, brings to life over 12 consumer brands including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland® and Dickies®

Their initiative is set to directly fund Black students studying to enter the fashion and/ or footwear industry. The idea behind the Black Talent in Design and Fashion Fund is to support black students studying to enter the underrepresented fashion and footwear industry through scholarship, mentorship and internship placement. They collaborate to achieve goals to make teams more diverse and richer in perspective while benefiting a wider inclusive goal.

Statistics show Black talent represents less than 5% of such a vast industry. BTDF addresses a solution from the root and foundation, undergraduate studies, in the efforts to cultivate and foster students obtaining a degree in which they are technically trained. This fund will support underrepresented communities within fashion and design to ensure they can complete their degree without roadblocks like not being able to afford materials, supplies or even the semester’s tuition.

Hence, they pledge to support students throughout their journey, this can open a wider pool for companies to recruit and that can be the start to addressing the lack of diversity in the fashion and footwear industries.

Apply Here

Essential Requirement:

• Open to EEA citizens only

The application deadline is 6 November 2023. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to become part of the Design and Fashion industry!

FAQ Section

From there, how did the Black Talent in Design & Fashion Fund get started?

Alicia: I always wanted to create my scholarship foundation, but wasn’t sure where or how to start. I was greatly inspired by George Floyd’s memorial service during a speech, which challenged universities to create funding to support Black students. Because this was during the height of the pandemic, I was living in Switzerland at the time and spent most of the pandemic painting. I started selling prints of my paintings and used the funds as the foundation for the scholarship. I underestimated the power of my network, and once I started talking about my initiative, brands began reaching out to me to help fund the scholarship.

Since the foundation in 2020, we have never had to ask for funding, and we’ve been fortunate enough to award 39 students across the US, a scholarship as well as internship placements in NYC.

Why, in your opinion, is the Black Talent Fund important?

Alicia: Access to opportunity is crucial in any industry, but even more so in the fashion and footwear industry. The Black Talent in Design & Fashion Fund helps bridge the gap by providing recruiters a direct pipeline of talent for internships and providing students access to funding and mentorship.

Gabriele: Networking is key when it comes to building a career. By promoting a more diverse pool of candidates and boosting their perspective via tailor-made mentoring, we are shaping a more diverse talent space not only for VF but for the apparel and fashion industry in Europe. We are excited to be part of this journey!

What are your hopes for the future of the Back Talent Fund?

Alicia: In just 3 years of our foundation, we are entering global territory by expanding beyond the US. I understand that this initiative isn’t very common in Europe, so this is already a great step to what the future could look like for the foundation. I would also love the opportunity to curate an in-person gala where we invite all sponsors, mentors, students and graduates for an evening of celebrating, awarding and networking.

Gabriele: We hope to contribute to Alicia vision for the future making careers in design in our industry more accessible for each and everyone. Watch this space… more to come!