IU Student Receives Black Talent in Design & Fashion Scholarship

During her freshman year at the University of Immaculata, fashion merchandising major Jaliece Horn ’24 was a recipient of the Black Talent in Design and Fashion Fund Scholarship. Horn was awarded a $500 scholarship by the Black Talent in Design and Fashion Fund (BTDF), a scholarship and mentorship program founded by Nike designer Alicia Pinckney. BTDF offers assistance to black students in design and fashion programs to combat underrepresentation in the industry.

NS Black Talent in Design Scholarship and Fashion Fund full-time award of undergraduate design and fashion major with a $500 scholarship and mentorship opportunities with industry professionals. Students are evaluated based on GPA (must maintain a 2.5 GPA) and creative expression.

Originally from Philadelphia, Horn majored in fashion merchandising. Upon graduation, he hopes to enter the design industry where he can utilize his creative and technical abilities. Growing up singing, dancing, playing the violin, drawing and painting, he was always involved in various artistic endeavors. Whenever I do something creative, I feel like I’m doing something important, says Horn. Where am I.

Horn was directed to BTDF by Immaculatas fashion merchandise program director, Lina Castro. Castro and Pinckney both attended the University of Philadelphia and connected via LinkedIn after Castro learned about Pinckney’s mission with the BTDF. As a woman of color, Pinckney has accepted Castros’ invitation to speak to her Immaculata class about her experiences in the design industry to encourage diversity within the department. There should be more than this [financial and mentorship] program, Castro said. We need to support students [of color]. We need to find a financial way to support them.

The BTDF website offers statistics from the 2019 AIGA survey showing that white designers make up 71% of the design industry, while Asian and Hispanic designers make up 9% and 8% of the industry, respectively. Statistically, black designers are only 3% of the industry, which highlights a significant difference.

Horn described being honored to be selected for this scholarship. Receiving a scholarship makes me feel very valued for my Blackness, for who I am.

According to its website, the Black Talent in Design and Fashion Fund is an initiative set up to directly fund black students studying to enter the fashion and/or footwear industry. By offering black students financial support and mentorship opportunities, BTDF hopes to increase diversity and representation in the fields of fashion and design.