Burberry launches new scholarships for underrepresented students

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Sep 24, 2020

Burberry has upped its commitment to diversity by launching a new scholarship scheme that will benefit creative arts students from underrepresented communities.
 

Designed to provide more equal access at some of the world’s top creative institutions, the programme involves partnerships with London’s Central Saint Martins, the Parsons School of Design in New York City and Paris’ Institut Français de la Mode.

Burberry said the new scheme, together with its existing scholarship programme at the Royal College of Art in London, will enable over 50 students to benefit from education programmes in the arts over the next five years and beyond. 

Erica Bourne, chief people officer, said: “In order to truly diversify the talent we bring into this industry, we have to meaningfully commit to diversifying our talent pipeline. This starts before the workplace, in education. We are delighted to be working with such an impressive array of creative institutions, all of which are equally dedicated to ensuring better representation within their programmes.”

At Parsons, the scholarships will support graduate students enrolled in the Architectural Design, Interior Design, Fashion Marketing and Communication, and Strategic Design and Management programmes. 

At Central Saint Martins, undergraduates pursuing Fashion Design, Textile Design, Jewellery Design, Fashion Communication and Graphic Communication can apply for funding. 

Finally, at Institut Français de la Mode, scholarships will provide opportunities for undergraduates to pursue degrees in Fashion Design.

Jeremy Till, head of Central Saint Martins, commented: “This is an important and generous initiative from Burberry, in that it will support students who might otherwise not flourish because of financial hardship. The scholarships are part of Burberry and Central Saint Martins’ shared commitment to keeping London as a hub of creativity.”

The three creative institutions are among the world’s most prestigious of their kind. Central Saint Martins alumni include world-renowned fashion designers like Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Riccardo Tisci, while notable Parsons School of Design alumni include Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Anna Sui. Institut Français de la Mode is widely considered one of the best fashion schools in Europe.