Forever New honours students with opportunity of a lifetime

Amber Reese and Lauren Trend from RMIT’s School of Fashion and Textiles have each been awarded $20,000 towards their university fees and expenses, as well as an overseas trend research trip with the Forever New senior creative team.

Due to the diversity and calibre of this year’s entrants, Forever New, which awards an annual scholarship to the Fashion Design (Honours) program, extended its generosity and presented two scholarships for 2015 – with both students joining the company next year on a 12-month employment contract.

Reese and Trend, who are both completing their final year in the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours), said they were grateful for the unique opportunity.

“I am extremely humbled and equally excited to be awarded such a generous scholarship,” Trend said.

“To be fortunate enough to have the guarantee of a placement within the industry upon graduation is truly invaluable.

“The RMIT fashion program has offered engagement across many aspects of design; I have developed my own practice that is constantly interrogating fashion, resulting in both theoretical and tangible outcomes.”

Reese said the fashion design courses at RMIT allowed her to develop her conceptual methodology as well as fundamental technical skills.

“My critical thinking has progressed to the point where I have a constant consideration for the final context of my work,” Reese said.

“I am excited about acquiring knowledge from a respected company that understands the importance of global relevancy and proactively responds to the changing lifestyle of their customers.”

Forever New co-founder Amanda Goenka said she is thrilled to be welcoming Reese and Trend into the creative design team in 2016.

“We have a strong desire to support local talent and provide opportunities for entry into the fashion industry,” she said.

“We are fortunate to have our global headquarters in Melbourne and it is very exciting to be in a position to support these gifted young Victorian women.”

Deputy Head of School of Fashion and Textiles, Associate Professor Karen Webster, said she was delighted with Forever New’s decision to award two scholarships this year.

“We are excited to be involved and look forward to watching Lauren and Amber prosper with the support of Forever New,” Webster said.

“The scholarship encourages creative thinking and innovation and recognises students who have the capacity to develop as future leaders in fashion design.

“Our students learn conceptual ideas and challenge the practices in the broader industry, allowing them to perceive cultural and market shifts.”

RMIT is a global leader in fashion and textiles education, teaching diverse skills that can be applied to various aspects of design, textiles, branding and communication.