Tommy Hilfiger hosts scholarship fund social

Tommy Hilfiger last week hosted the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) 2010 Intern Social at its Fifth Avenue flagship boutique. The social honored Hilfiger's recent $50,000 scholarship grant to the FSF and its second year in hosting the Intern

Social. Guests included Tommy Hilfiger, members of the FSF board of directors, and 56 newly appointed fashion industry proteges selected this year by the FSF to be mentored as the future of fashion.

This summer's $5,000 grant-recipient interns living and working in New York City at top fashion industry companies include four interning at Tommy Hilfiger. Three were selected for Excellence in Design to work within Hilfiger's Design and Production teams, while one was chosen for Marketing.

"I'm honored to partner with the Fashion Scholarship Fund to support students interested in the fashion industry," said Tommy Hilfiger. "These students have wonderful talent and it is exciting to have them intern and work with our team."

"Fashion Scholarship Fund is a great program that supports students' interest in the retail industry both from a business and design perspective," said Colleen Kelly, President of Tommy Hilfiger Wholesale for North America who also serves on the FSF board of directors. "It is touching to see their dedication and interest in fashion and the business behind it."

"The internship program is a road map for the students to plan  their future careers. They are able to hold a mirror up to themselves and to the industry to see how they're going to become a part of it," said FSF President, Ken Wyse, also President of Licensing and Public Relations for Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH). "We continue to outreach, to fuel with grants, money, endowments and events in order to be relevant. We honor the students to keep them motivated to become leaders," and he added, "We continue to include more schools in this program in order to grow new leaders of our industry."

An organization boasting more than 70 years in the apparel and textile industries, the FSF has been granting scholarships to students in those businesses since 1971. Over the last several years, the fund has fast become one of the largest, most important grant organizations in the apparel business, having awarded more than $6 million to over 700 students since the scholarship program started. The YMA FSF has paired students with participating companies ranging from designer houses Zac Posen, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, to retailers like Ross Stores,Macy's and Phillips-Van  Heusen, and fashion forecasting organizations such as The Doneger Group.

This is the first year Hilfiger has been on the roster of participating companies with whom students are paired. Other participants range from designer houses Zac Posen, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, to retailers like Ross Stores, Macy's and Phillips-Van Heusen, and fashion forecasting organizations such as The Doneger Group.

All 56 scholars chosen to intern this summer applied from the 28 FSF-participating schools nationwide, including F.I.T., Indiana University and Wharton Business School, among others.

Image: Tommy Hilfiger + intern