The YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund hosted its annual Summer Kick Off Party Tuesday, June 15th, on the rooftop of the Sequential Brands Group Starrett-Lehigh Building in New York City. The evening was full of laughs, fun, and networking as Scholars and Board of Governors mingled. As guests entered the rooftop, they were met by the view of the Hudson River and a beautiful New York sunset.

During the event, Scholars had the chance to reconnect and catch up since they met at the scholarship dinner. For some it was a chance to meet fellow winners for the first time. I personally connected with my fellow Scholars and got insight into different aspect of the fashion industry. Dvorah Elster (University of Wisconsin-Madison) explained to me how at her school, they progressed through the process of accessory making starting with simple belts then moving into bustier.

The executives of the fashion industry have taken the time to mentor, and help Scholars to reach their full potential in the fashion industry. The need to help the future of fashion was so strong during the kick off that Howard Feller, Managing Partner at MMG, agreed to participate in Breakfast with the Boss for the 2017 Scholars.

Fashion designer and special guest Joseph Abboud also made an exciting presentation, awarding UCLA student Linsey Morales with the 2nd Annual Doug Ewert Men’s Wearhouse Scholarship. The $5,000 Doug Ewert Scholarship goes to a current student from a West Coast school who is a top-performing Scholar in the FSF program. This is in addition to the $5,000 FSF Scholarship Linsey received at the FSF Awards Gala in January.

A special thank you to Yehuda Shmidman, Sequential Brands Group, our Board of Governors and Joseph Abboud for a wonderful evening!

- Maiya Carmichael, YMA FSF 2016 Scholar