News and Media

Published: Jan 19, 2012

ATLANTA, Georgia - Savannah College of Art and Design student Sarah Butler was awarded a $30,000 Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship at the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund annual dinner held in New York on Jan. 10. Butler, one of four nationwide recipients, is the first SCAD student to receive this prestigious honor.

"I am thrilled to receive the Geoffrey Beene scholarship," said Butler, a senior at SCAD Atlanta, double majoring in fashion and graphic design. "The Fashion Scholarship Fund and the Geoffrey Been Foundation truly believe in nurturing new designers through education and professional experience."

YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund

Founded in 1937, the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the fashion industry's next generation through scholarships for education in fashion arts and business, mentorships with top designers, and internships with distinguished fashion houses. Since 2008, the Geoffrey Beene Estate has contributed more than $2 million toward the designer's namesake scholarship.

This year's competition

For this year's competition, FSF tasked students with reviving a flagging fashion brand. Following an internship with Target, Butler decided to focus her project on expanding the company's Xhiliration line for girls, targeting the "tween" market and renaming it Xhil.

Butler's proposal included designs for a new Xhil logo, hang tags, labels, t-shirts, bedding and other accessories. She produced a mobile application and redesigned the line's section on Target's website. Butler also envisioned an Xhil store-within-a-store, complete with floor pad design.

"Through her studies at SCAD Atlanta, Sarah has developed a solid background in fashion, graphic design, and market research," said Michael Fink, Dean of SCAD's School of Fashion. "By honoring her work, the Fashion Scholarship Fund and Geoffrey Beene Foundation recognize the excellence of a SCAD education and its grounding in career preparation."

With the Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship, Butler will complete her senior collection with SCAD Style Lab mentor Raul Melgoza of Luca Luca.