The Royal College of Art announces the RCA Virgil Abloh Scholarship

In honour of the late American fashion designer, artist, creative director, DJ and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh, the RCA has launched the Virgil Abloh Scholarship that will fund a Black British student’s studies for a year.

Abloh, who passed away in 2021, created a dialogue on underrepresented communities in the creative and design industries. With this in mind, the RCA Virgil Abloh Scholarship will offer £35,000 to cover the full tuition fee and maintenance support for a talented, but financially restricted, student on any programme in the School of Design.

Sir Jony Ive, RCA Chancellor, said: “Virgil’s creativity and generosity will continue to have an impact at the RCA through this remarkable scholarship. I continue to be inspired by Virgil and believe that his curiosity and entrepreneurialism will live on, inspiring generations of innovators to come.”

The designer became fashion royalty when he established Off-White and subsequently became the first African American to hold the title of Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton menswear. He joined the RCA as an Honorary Visiting Professor in 2020, maintaining a close relationship with the institution until his passing. This new scholarship recognises Virgil’s support for education as well as his career-long ethos of creating social change.

The Virgil Abloh Scholarship was made possible by the team at the Fashion Scholarship Fund in the USA, thanks to a gift from an anonymous donor. It was created with the support of Shannon Abloh, the late designer's wife, who commented: "Over the years, the RCA and Virgil formed a beautiful relationship based on a shared appreciation of collaboration, creative vision, and of course, education. We know that the RCA Virgil Abloh Scholarship will break down financial barriers to fulfilling creative potential and empower talented young individuals to dream even bigger."

The RCA is committed to making postgraduate study open to people from all backgrounds. Over 180 scholarships, awards and prizes are available to RCA students this academic year.