A new scholarship named after the late designer Virgil Abloh has been launched at RCA, and will be awarded to ‘an extraordinarily talented, but financially restricted, Black British student’ every year. The scholarship of £35,000 will cover full tuition and maintenance support.
Abloh, who passed away from cancer last year at the age of 41, was a celebrated designer, entrepreneur, architect and DJ. He worked as the creative director for Louis Vuitton and founded the fashion brand Off-White. In his career, he placed a strong emphasis on providing opportunities for the next generation of Black designers, and opening doors not just temporarily, but permanently. He had a close relationship with RCA as an institution and was an honorary visiting professor.
The scholarship represents this legacy. The first recipient will be named next year, and will receive not only the funding towards tuition, but also hands-on industry experience and network opportunities. Fashion designer Samuel Ross will support the winner alongside partners from the creative industries.
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‘Bettering key communities’
Dr Ross said of Abloh, ‘Virgil Abloh’s drive has always been linked to bettering others, bettering society, and communicating an optimistic future with grace, a radical spirit and intellectual prowess that operates on a diagonal, through all facets of society. Without a doubt this philosophy will be expanded upon and continue to shift the behaviour of the creative industry & physical spaces, whilst bettering key communities Virgil dedicated much of his time to supporting.’
The scholarship applies to the postgraduate study options at RCA, which include Design Products, Textiles, Fashion, Service Design and Intelligent Mobility.
The scholarship was planned with support from the late designer’s wife, Shannon Abloh, who said, ‘Over the years, the RCA and Virgil formed a beautiful relationship based on a shared appreciation of collaboration, creative vision, and of course, education. We know that the RCA Virgil Abloh Scholarship will break down financial barriers to fulfilling creative potential and empower talented young individuals to dream even bigger.’
The scholarship also received support from the Fashion Scholarship Fund and an anonymous donor.
Abloh’s passion for mentoring youth lives on in other ways, too. He established a digital ‘free game’ hub with resources on ‘How to obtain a trademark’, ‘How to name your brand’, and other entrepreneurial topics. Abloh also founded the ‘Post-Modern’ scholarship, which was launched in 2020, selecting 20 students to receive the prize, which included internship opportunities.
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