AMM Students Win Scholarships
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Two Cal Poly Pomona apparel merchandising and management students won prestigious $7,500 scholarships after participating in a case study competition.
Ariana Lin and Katia Quiroz, both juniors, were among 120 students nationwide who were awarded scholarships from the nonprofit YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, which holds the competition annually.
Lin, who is from San Jose, chose a design/product case study called “Global Consciousness: Generation Z’s Newest Obsession.” It focused on the potential integration of East Asian streetwear in the Western retail market.
“I wanted to focus on East Asian streetwear in the Western market because of the popularization of East Asian pop culture in the Western world,” the apparel production student said. “With the growing rise of K-Pop and anime in the Western world, I wanted to come up with a more accessible way for Americans to enjoy those aesthetics while still conforming to the American styles as well.”
The design/product development emphasis allowed Lin to employ her passion and interest in fashion design. A Taiwanese American, she hopes to continue her studies after graduation for a possible master’s degree in fashion design somewhere in East Asia. She is interested in becoming a fashion designer or creative director for an entertainment company or retailer in East Asia.
A West Covina native, Quiroz chose to do a case study within the merchandising discipline, where shew as required to create a campaign that addressed a current social issue. She developed a campaign for a collection by Reformation to bring support and awareness to immigrants and refugees.
“Many of my family members are immigrants, and immigration reform is an issue close to my hear that I believe we must continue to discuss,” Quiroz said. “I have not seen many fashion brands address these issues, so I felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring together the two in a way that is educational and can bring true change.”
The apparel production student hope to start her own brand and create opportunities for immigrants and minorities within the fashion industry.
“I have always wanted to run my own business, and I feel that having my own clothing brand is something that I can continuously pour my heart and creativity into,” Quiroz said.
In the past, the Fashion Scholarship Fund has honored the scholarship recipients at a January gala in New York City. However, because of COVID-19 restrictions, the fund will have a virtual award celebration this year.
“Although we do not have the opportunity to attend a gala in New York, I am excited for the celebration and am grateful that they decided to still put something on for us,” Quiroz said.
The fund also purchased a week-long, full-page ad in Women’s Wear Daily magazine with the recipients’ names in it to honor them, Lin added.
Founded in 1937, the Fashion Scholarship Fund is the largest and oldest scholarship organization in the fashion industry, seeking the best and brightest students from around the world to lead the industry into the future.