YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund Announces Manny Chirico & Jeff Kantor as 2011 Honorees; Visionaire Founders, Cecilia Dean, Stephen Gan and James Kaliardos, to Receive First-Ever
“Future of Fashion Award”
On January 11, 2011 the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF), the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to investing in students pursuing careers in fashion, will host its 45th Annual YMA FSF Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Awards Dinner in New York City. Each year, the YMA FSF honors key figures within the fashion industry who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to educating and mentoring aspiring fashion professionals. The 2011 YMA SFS Honorees include Manny Chirico, Chairman and CEO of Phillips-Van Heusen, and Jeff Kantor, President of Merchandising at Macys.com. Previous YMA FSF Honorees include Zac Posen, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Paula Abdul, Tim Gunn, Tommy Hilfiger, Geoffrey Beene and Ralph Lauren.
This year’s dinner will feature the first-ever Future of Fashion Award, which will be presented to Visionaire founders Cecilia Dean, Stephen Gan and James Kaliardos, acknowledging their 20 years of influence and contributions to fashion. The award was created to recognize the industry’s luminaries who have greatly influenced young fashion scholars (“the future of fashion”) through innovation and creative contributions to fashion. Recipients of this award are known for always being ahead of the curve, with a strong influence that is felt industry wide.
The evening will also include the presentation of the highly-coveted $25,000 Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship to four deserving students to pursue their education and career goals as well as $5,000 scholarships to 100 YMA FSF Scholars. Recipients were chosen after a highly competitive and rigorous selection process that enabled students to showcase their passion and dedication to fashion through essays, creative presentations and in-person interviews.
About the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF)
The Fashion Scholarship Fund (SFS) is a national non-profit association consisting of influential members of the fashion community, dedicated to promoting education of the fashion arts and business by granting scholarships to talented students and facilitating internships, mentorships, and career programs. FSF’s goal is to advance the fashion industry by encouraging gifted and enterprising young people to pursue careers in design, merchandising, retailing and business so the industry will continue to attract dedicated, capable, and creative individuals.
Since its inception in 1971, FSF has awarded over $6.5 million in scholarships to more than 800 students nationwide. In 2005, FSF began a partnership with the Geoffrey Beene Foundation, which includes a $2 million commitment to establish the Geoffrey Beene National Scholarships. In addition to numerous $5,000 scholarships FSF awards annually, four outstanding Geoffrey Beene Scholars will receive $25,000 scholarships to pursue their education and career goals. Each year, the scholarships are awarded to deserving students at the FSF’s principal fundraiser, the Annual YMA FSF Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Awards Dinner, graciously underwritten by Geoffrey Beene Gives BackÒ, with 100% of net proceeds going directly to FSF programs, including mentor and internship programs.