While there can only be one winner, all hopeful students present at The Glasshouse for FSF LIVE, the Fashion Scholarship Fund’s 87th annual Awards, went home enriched, inspired, and motivated for the future thanks to oodles of invaluable advice from Tracee Ellis Ross, Michael Burke, Paloma Elsesser, and more.
Elsesser, dressed in an ensemble by Vaquera, was on emcee duty for the evening, which celebrated the achievements of the entire Class of 2024 FSF Scholars and the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholars—incorporating some 130 students from 72 schools around the country.
The supermodel gave those in attendance a crucial pointer: make the most of being in the presence of luminaries from the worlds of design, retail, media, and business. “This room is full of people you’ve never met that could change your life. You never know. Don’t be shy tonight!”
An elated Tracee Ellis Ross was welcomed to the stage by her longtime stylist and fellow entrepreneur, Karla Welch, to receive recognition for her disruptive multi-million dollar beauty business, Pattern. Like Elsesser, Ross was straight to the point with no-nonsense advice. Despite being told ‘no’ for over a decade to her idea for a company that catered to Black women’s specific hair care needs, she persevered, knowing it would be both desirable and successful. “I invite you to embark on the important work of threading the needle between the profitable thing and the right thing,” she told students. “They can be the same thing if you do your work with your heart open, not with your eyes closed. And it helps to have a genuine love for humanity. So spread your ideas and your creativity far and wide.”
This importance of perseverance, resilience, and listening to your inner voice was echoed by honoree Michael Burke, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of LVMH Fashion Group, who spoke about taking a chance on interning at Bernard Arnault’s then-tiny company 46 years ago in a downtrodden part of Paris. “You need to dedicate decades of your life before you can be successful,” he said. “I urge you to try not to be successful out of the gates. It’s virtually impossible,” he said, while driving home the importance of finding your support system and your superpower.
For his rare moment in the spotlight, Burke was introduced by none other than Spike Lee, who praised him for being a true champion of diverse talent—including his early support of the late Abloh, whom he ultimately hired to spearhead Louis Vuitton menswear.