In 1986, the CFDA established an endowed scholarship at Parsons School of Design, in memory of member and previous president Perry Ellis.

In 1996, the CFDA Scholarship Program was created to award annual merit-based scholarship grants to students in their junior year of study in a four-year, full-time college level fashion design program and in 2005, CFDA Board Member Joseph Abboud made a personal commitment to underwrite the CFDA Scholarship Program. The program is highly competitive, and entrants represent the best and brightest from the country’s top design colleges and universities.

In 2003, the Visiting Designers Program was established. Members involved in the CFDA’s Educational Initiatives visit participating schools to present the CFDA’s programs and review and critique the students’ work.

Also in 2007, the Clara Hancox Scholarship Fund was established to support the next generation of menswear designers. Clara Hancox reported for the Daily News Record (DNR) from 1944-1993, and was a great friend to the menswear industry. Each year, the CFDA will select one aspiring menswear design student from the applicants within its existing Scholarship Program to receive the Clara Hancox Scholarship Award.

Since the program’s inception, the CFDA Scholarship Committee has awarded 141 scholarships totaling $550,000.

This year the CFDA, with the support of its Scholarship Committee, awarded scholarships totaling $45,000.  Scholarships are to be used toward the students’ senior year of study. 

$10,000 AWARD WINNERS:

Peter Nguyen, ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
Yuen Chi Lo, PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN 
Lauren Burnet, PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN

$5,000 AWARD WINNERS:

Elin Johansson, FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Lisa Relth, ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
Wei-Li Ting*, ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY

 * Based on Wei-Li Ting’s outstanding menswear design talent and portfolio submission, the CFDA Scholarship Committee was happy to present Wei-Li with the Clara Hancox Scholarship Award for Menswear. 

In addition to awarding Scholarship Awards, the Scholarship Committee also named Honorable Mentions as well.  

HONORABLE MENTION:

Jusil Carroll, FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Tim Dejsiriudom, SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
Naama Doktofsky, FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY     
Paul Negron, PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
Sarah Richards, RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Sung Hee Shin, OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

The CFDA Scholarship Program is in partnership with GEOFFREY BEENE and supported by designer Joseph Abboud.