1:51 p.m., Jan. 18, 2011----Six students from the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences have received the 2011 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF), a prestigious national award that includes a $5,000 scholarship, an internship, and an “executive mentor” within the fashion industry.

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Fashion merchandising students Heather Starner, Emily Ivory, and Maggie Moore and apparel design students Stacey Lipschitz, Jenna Shaw, and Danielle Wagner were honored at the YMA Geoffrey Beene Fashion Scholarship Awards Dinner on Jan. 11 in New York City. Lipschitz, Shaw and Starner are students in the University's Honors Program.

Attending the dinner, which raised over $2 million for scholarships and education, were industry leaders such as Jeff Kantor, president of merchandising at Macy's com, and Emanuel “Manny” Chirico, chairman and CEO of Phillips-Van Heusen.

“This is a remarkable achievement for the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies in our first year participation in this highly competitive national program,” said Marsha Dickson, chair of the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies.

In addition to the $5,000 scholarship, the winners will receive internships at such notable corporations as Calvin Klein, Nike, Nordstrom, and Macy's, where they will be matched with an “executive” mentor. Ranging from corporate vice presidents to company directors, the mentors assist students in networking with industry contacts.

The students were awarded the fashion scholarship in one of two categories, fashion merchandising or apparel design. All were required to complete a case study in which they conducted market research and used their creative, strategic, and analytical skills to develop a new private-label brand for an existing retailer

Heather Starner, a senior fashion merchandising major, developed an infant/toddler line for Anthropologie. “Being recognized by the industry and professionals who have maneuvered it successfully is reassuring and gives me confidence to pursue my goals,” she said.

Junior apparel design major Stacey Lipschitz, who has already received international recognition in other design competitions, created a junior plus size line for Urban Outfitters. Lipschitz is currently studying abroad in Paris and said, “This design competition gave me the opportunity to compete with the best of the best. The scholarship, internship opportunity, and access to an executive mentor will provide me increased opportunities to advance in my career in fashion.”

FSF awards between 70 and 100 scholarships of $5,000 each year and awards four $25,000 Geoffrey Beene National Scholarships. The FSF scholarship is open to sophomores, juniors, and first-semester seniors with at least a 3.0 grade-point average.

The University of Delaware is one of 34 prestigious schools vetted and selected by the FSF executive board to participate in the competition.

Participating schools include the University of Pennsylvania, Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Virginia, and Parsons School of Design.

The YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund is a national non-profit association composed of industry leaders in the fashion community. Their mission is to facilitate the entry of talented students in the fashion industry by granting scholarships, facilitating internships, and mentoring to students who exhibit scholarship and talent in fashion merchandising, business, and apparel design. Since its inception in 1971, FSF has awarded over $6.5 million in scholarships to more than 800 students nationwide.