I earned recognition as a Fashion Scholarship Fund Scholar, a national program that selects roughly 100 students each year from thousands of applicants across the United States. The prompt for this year’s FSF Design and Product Development case study challenged students to create a collaboration between a fashion brand and a non-fashion brand.

 

For my project, I developed the Creative Access Program, a collaboration between GOLF le FLEUR and Crayola. The concept centers on a nostalgia-driven apparel and accessories collection, with a significant portion of profits directed toward underfunded art programs across the United States. The program also leverages Crayola’s existing sustainability infrastructure, including its use of solar energy to power much of its production, ensuring the collaboration is both socially and environmentally responsible.

 

This project held particular significance for me on a personal level. Traditional academic structures never fully resonated with me growing up. Art education provided a space for me to explore creativity, identity, and problem-solving, ultimately guiding me toward a career in fashion. Without access to art programs, I likely would not have found my path. Developing a system such as Creative Access expands opportunity, funding, and access to creative education, which has the potential to open doors for students. This allows students to thrive in creative career opportunities that often go unseen due to underfunding and underdeveloped art education in the United States.