Creatives Want Change applications open for inaugural year

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Feb 26, 2022

Creatives Want Change has announced the launch of 25 scholarships for Black American design students.

The scholarships are open to Black high school students to attend Pre-College Summer Programs in Fashion Design at the best design schools in the country including California College of the Arts, Fashion Institute of Technology, Academy of Art University, Otis College of Art & Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Savannah College of Art and Design and Parsons School of Design. 

Pre-College scholarships will cover the full tuition of the Pre-College Programs offered, including any application fees, as well as a stipend for necessary supplies. 

Founded by Randy Cousin, SVP of product concept and the People’s Place Program for Tommy Hilfiger; Joe Medved, founder of Joe’s Blackbook; and Matthew Kane, design director, Club Monaco, the organization was created in 2020 to cultivate Black creative talent interested in the fashion industry, beginning at the high school level and continuing into early professional development.

Program pillars include pre-educational opportunities, mentorship with industry professionals, college scholarships, internships and apprenticeships, and community exposure. Students are expected to be matched with partner programs during the application review process. 

"Our goal at CWC is to create a pipeline. You know, as a black creative, I often say to people that I'm a unicorn. I shouldn't be here. And the reality is, as someone who came from a systemically challenged, inner-city neighborhood, I did not know that this industry existed,” said Cousin. 

"Corporate sponsorship is so important because if we don't invest now, the next 10 years are not gonna be different from how they've been in the past. This is really about creating a commitment at the front end, so that we can see the change that we want in 10 to 20 years' time and really change the face of the industry,” added Kane. 

Applications for students are now open until March 1st at www.creativeswantchange.org.