by The Royal College of Art has announced a scholarship in the name of the late designer Virgil Abloh, which will award a black British student in any of its School of Design programs a full tuition scholarship.
The scholarship, which will also include maintenance support totaling £35,000, will be awarded to “an extraordinarily talented but financially constrained black British student” to help him reach his creative potential, the Royal College of Art (RCA) said. .
It was launched to help underrepresented communities in the design and creative industries. In addition to financial support, the chosen student will have the opportunity to network with and be supported by fashion designer Samuel Ross and others in the creative industry.
Scholarship to start the next academic year
Fashion designer Abloh, who died of cancer last year at the age of 41, was an honorary visiting professor at RCA and had a “close relationship” with the institution.
“Virgil’s creativity and generosity will continue to impact the RCA through this remarkable scholarship. I continue to be inspired by Virgil and believe his curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit will live on, inspiring generations of innovators to come,” said Chancellor of RCA, Jony Ive. .
The fellowship will begin next academic year and was established with the support of Abloh’s wife, Shannon Abloh, who is also CEO of Virgil Abloh Securities.
“Over the years, the RCA and Virgil have formed a beautiful relationship based on a shared appreciation of collaboration, creative vision and, of course, education,” he said.
“We know the RCA Virgil Abloh Scholarship will break down financial barriers to reaching creative potential and empower talented young people to dream even bigger.”
The students of the School of Design course to be eligible for the scholarship
The annual scholarship will apply to all postgraduate study at the RCA School of Design, including programs such as Fashion, Textiles, Design Products, Service Design and Smart Mobility, the RCA said.
Abloh, who founded the Off-White fashion brand and was the creative director of the Louis Vuitton fashion house, was known for his collaborations and had previously worked with the German car brand Mercedes-Benz on a limited-edition car.
More recently, Mattel Creations released a collection of Master of the Universe figures, including He-Man, designed by Abloh before he passed away.
In 2019, The Pokémon Company launched a grant with RCA to “support the creation and exploration of innovative art and design.”
Photo courtesy of RCA.
