Two N.C. A&T seniors – one a fashion major and now a two-time winner, the other a liberal studies major– were named 2026 Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholars by the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF).
Ashton Lovette, a fashion merchandising and design major in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and Cameron Blount, a liberal studies major in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, were named part of the “Post-Modern” Scholarship’s Class of 2026.
Established in 2020 by the late fashion visionary, the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund was created to expand opportunities in the fashion industry by providing scholarships to students who identify as Black or African-American and those who reflect the creativity, curiosity and progressive spirit that drive this work forward.
“Post-Modern” Scholars receive at least $10,000 in college scholarship support and participate in career-focused educational and professional development classes, networking opportunities and talent acquisition events throughout the year, including a visit to New York City in March for FSF’s annual gala.
For Lovette, a senior in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, the scholarship is a return to the top. She not only won last year’s “Post-Modern” Scholarship, but was N.C. A&T’s first ever FSF scholarship winner.
“Last year was definitely eye-opening,” said Lovette. “I had major imposter syndrome. I had just realized that I didn’t actually like making clothes, so I didn’t know what avenue I wanted to go down, in life or with fashion. Working on the case study (part of the first scholarship prompt) in marketing made me realize, ‘This is my avenue. Marketing is my avenue for fashion.’ ”
She was surprised, but nonetheless thrilled, to win a second time – proof that she had made the right choice.
“My professors had hyped me up, saying I had a chance since I’d won last year,” said Lovette. “Winning again confirmed that I was good at what I do.”
Blount, a liberal studies major studying applied cultural thoughts, took a unique path to becoming a Post-Modern Scholar. A senior year transfer student from N.C. Central, she came to A&T already thinking about the scholarship. She had learned about it from a friend and had researched Virgil Abloh himself, and the opportunities the scholarship provided.
“Even though on paper I’m in another department, in real life, my niche is fashion and luxury fashion,” said Blount. “My eyes have always been on the scholarship, but I didn’t think it could be me because fashion wasn’t my major. Since they had business strategy as part of the application, and I’m looking to go into creative advertising, I wanted to challenge myself and (create a business strategy) in the fashion industry.”
Blount said she spent “six months-plus” between her junior year at NCCU and her arrival at N.C. A&T preparing for the scholarship, working with Associate Professor Beth Newcomb-Hopfer, Ph.D. and other faculty in the college and at NCCU to build her application.
“I worked with Drs. [Devona] Dixon and [Gurinda] Kaur, and they, Dr. Hopfer and I had group calls up to the very end going through the presentation and critiqued every single slide,” said Blount. “It was that kind of support.”
Hopfer called the scholarship “a truly outstanding achievement” for both Lovette and Blount.
“[Ashton]’s recognition reflects the strength of her case studies; last year's showcased innovative ideas in AI-driven brand revitalization and this year’s proposed creative cross-industry partnerships,” said Hopfer. “We’re excited to celebrate with Cameron as well, since FMD faculty worked significantly with her as part of her application.”
