{"id":26971,"date":"2022-06-01T13:18:19","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T17:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=26971"},"modified":"2024-07-31T14:05:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T18:05:05","slug":"graduating-student-ava-armstrong-named-fashion-scholarship-fund-scholar-presents-research-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2022\/06\/graduating-student-ava-armstrong-named-fashion-scholarship-fund-scholar-presents-research-in-nyc\/","title":{"rendered":"Graduating Student Ava Armstrong Named Fashion Scholarship Fund Scholar, Presents Research in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

By Mary Giuffrida<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A plane touched down in New York City on Sunday, April 10 bringing a Wilson College of Textiles student 500 miles closer to achieving her dreams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ava Armstrong, who graduated in May of 2022 with a B.S. in fashion and textile management (FTM)<\/a> was headed to the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF)<\/a> Awards Gala where she was being honored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fashion Scholarship Fund is an education and workforce development nonprofit that awards over $1 million in scholarships each year. Along with their financial award, FSF Scholars receive mentorship, professional development opportunities, networking and access to influential leaders in the fashion industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the second time Armstrong earned her place as an FSF Scholar through the nonprofit\u2019s Case Study Scholarship<\/a>, having received one of the scholarships in 2021 as well. The Case Study Scholarship is FSF\u2019s signature program, which challenges students to develop solutions to real issues facing the fashion industry. This year\u2019s supply chain prompt asked students to make a fashion or accessory company more flexible in the face of a global pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI really want more people from the Wilson College to know about this experience. It\u2019s definitely attainable and so worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I saw the prompt, I knew I wanted to do something with 3D printing because I\u2019ve been super interested in how it relates back to sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspiration and innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong had from the time the prompts were released in April until August to submit her topic idea to FSF, then the finalized case study was due in October. The idea for her topic started as 3D printed purses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first thing that came to mind was Chanel, because they\u2019ve already been 3D printing buttons,\u201d Armstrong explains. \u201cBut there are a lot of different materials that would still need to be sourced from other places, and what I wanted to do was create a supply chain that was all in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong eventually settled on North American glasses manufacturer Warby Parker. They only ship to the U.S. and Canada, and their glasses frames could be entirely 3D printed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we have everything in the same place as the customers are, that is the ultimate level of on-demand flexibility,\u201d Armstrong says. <\/p>\n\n\n

Read her case study<\/span>\n\t\t<\/use>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

After choosing her topic, Armstrong started by finding companies using the same model she was attempting to implement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of the research I was doing was trying to figure out \u2018Is it actually feasible?\u2019\u201d she says. \u201c\u2018Have people done it before? What are the odds we can transfer this to a bigger company?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong found two different companies 3D printing glasses using selective laser centering on a smaller scale. Her next task was transitioning these companies\u2019 models to work for a much larger and completely domestic company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI found myself calling a lot of manufacturers and asking them where they got their materials from,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cThat took me the longest, trying to find a company that made powders in the United States.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After speaking with countless manufacturers, Armstrong was able to find a company in Texas that made the powders needed to 3D print the glasses. From there she got to work analyzing Warby Parker\u2019s current supply chain and combining all the information into her final case study. She credits her coursework at the Wilson College for giving her the skills she needed to complete the final project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn FTM every class has us do group projects together,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cHaving to follow through from start to finish in all of my classes really helped prepare me mentally for this.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That start to finish mindset paid off once again in December when the FSF judges selected her research to be honored at their annual gala and awarded her a $7,500 scholarship. Just three months later Armstrong was boarding a plane to New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Ava
Ava Armstrong at the Glasshouse in New York City for the Fashion Scholarship Fund gala.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d never been to New York before, and I\u2019d never even traveled by myself before!\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cI was excited and ready to go.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Networking in New York<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Armstrong spent the day of the gala with other FSF scholars. They attended a presentation from representatives of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman and toured Bergdorf\u2019s. Armstrong then toured Levi\u2019s where she was able to see their unreleased collections and learn more about merchandising, marketing and design. All of this led to the main event, the gala at the Glasshouse, where Armstrong was recognized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery scholar had a floor to ceiling banner with their name on it, the school they were from and their case study.\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cIndustry professionals would come up and we would give them pitches.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Ava
Ava Armstrong stands in front of a display about her case study at the Glasshouse in New York City.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Along with getting to know industry leaders and professionals Armstrong and the scholars also heard from various speakers and spent time learning from other scholars and their experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really want more people from the Wilson College to know about this experience,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely attainable and so worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As her time at the Wilson College of Textiles comes to a close, Armstrong looks forward to starting a new chapter. She will be applying the skills she cultivated through her two years as an FSF scholar when she begins her new job this summer as an allocation analyst for Kohl\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n