Tory Burch and Parsons partner on new scholarship fund

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Oct 26, 2021

Tory Burch and the School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design announced a new five-year multi-disciplinary partnership to promote and celebrate creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

As part of the partnership, students in the BFA Fashion Design, MFA Textiles, and AAS Marketing and Communications programs will engage with the Tory Burch brand to explore innovative solutions to design, product development and marketing challenges facing the fashion industry.

Throughout the multi-year partnership, students will have the opportunity to visit the Tory Burch ateliers, receive mentorship from the Tory Burch team, partner on special projects with the brand, and more. Burch and members of her brand, which was founded in 2004, will also share their expertise and advice with students during in-class speaking engagements, public lectures and real-life work experiences.

The American designer and entrepreneur equally announced the creation of the Tory Burch Empowering Future Fashion Leaders Endowed Scholarship Fund at Parsons with a gift that will be matched to establish a $1,000,000 fund to provide financial aid to students.

The scholarship fund is expected to help reduce the financial burden for students attending Parsons, and play a vital role in supporting educational access and fostering a more diverse industry.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with Parsons to help provide the next generation of creative talent with the resources, guidance and opportunities they need to grow and thrive in an industry that I am passionate about. We are honored to work with these students—their energy, determination, and innovative spirit are incredibly inspiring,” said Burch. 

“Parsons is very proud to partner with Tory Burch to offer greater access to fashion education and industry-focused curricular experiences,” added Ben Barry, Dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons. 

“Tory’s purpose-driven approach to fashion business has created a new model for the industry and her designs, driven by deep research, have become iconic in narratives of American fashion. Tory is an inspiration to our students, and I am so eager for them to learn from her and her team.”