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Watch as television executive & ‘Black Women In Hollywood honoree Kathryn Busby delivers her acceptance speech.

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The Fashion Scholarship Fund will host an event at The Glasshouse in New York City on April 8, honoring college students dedicated to reshaping the fashion industry. Supermodel Paloma Elsesser will host with Michael Burke, the chairman and CEO of LVMH, and Tracee Ellis Ross, actress and CEO of Pattern Beauty, among those recognized for their unwavering support of diverse emerging talent. Nordstrom president and chief brand officer, Pete Nordstrom, will also be honored.

This event will distribute $1.4 million to the 130 college students, in addition to this year’s Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholarship Fund Scholars, with their work showcased during the event. Each student will receive between $5,000 to $25,000 that evening. Since its establishment in 1937, the Fashion Scholarship Fund has prioritized underrepresented students, with a heightened focus since 2019, providing scholarships to support many first-generation college students and students of color showing financial need over the past five years. 

Many first-generation college students and students of color who show financial need are being supported through the Fashion Scholarship Fund over the past five years. Through selecting talented students, the FSF has been attempting to change how the industry is seen from within by spreading equity with funding to increase diversity. Since starting this initiative to fund underrepresented students, the number of scholars of color has risen from 22 percent to 62 percent, according to WWD. Stay tuned here for more updates. 

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Watch as writer, producer & ‘Black Women In Hollywood honoree Nkeche Okoro Carroll delivers her acceptance speech.

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Watch as actress, singer & ‘Black Women In Hollywood honoree Danielle Brooks gives her acceptance speech.

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This week celebrities with racks of accolades came out in >Yvonne Orji wore an all brown look for a premiere that had our heads turned. Loot actresses Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Maya Rudolph came out for their Apple+ show premier wearing completely different aesthetics that worked well for each personality. Rodriguez wore a denim head-to-toe look while Rudolph wore a black Schiaparelli look. 

Next, one of the funniest women to grace the earth, Niecy Nash attended the premiere of

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Not many can handle a store break-in with grace and calmness, let alone create new merchandise and address their community directly. However, Gavin Mathieu, the co-founder and creative director of Supervsn, did. He >T-SHIRT.”

In addition, he reached over a quarter of the $15k goal for in-store damages and new security in less than three days after the announcement. Mathieu’s response was a testament to showcasing his dedication to his customers and values beyond mere revenue.

Born and raised in South Central, California adjacent to Leimert Park, Mathieu draws inspiration from his neighborhood and family, including his late father’s journey from the NFL to law and his mother’s entrepreneurial spirit. His earliest inspiration came from his grandmother, who instilled in him self-confidence and a visionary mindset. These influences led Mathieu to establish Supervsn, his flagship store, now celebrating its 5th anniversary of building a business and brand authentically, located at 4440 West Slauson Ave.

Prior to Supervsn, Mathieu ventured into entrepreneurship at 23 years old with his store YOUth on Fairfax Ave from 2013 to 2015. Drawing lessons from this past, he prioritized creating positive experiences over hype with Supervsn, “I always say to create a feeling, and the feeling we want to create is a positive one for people, so that’s how we move. Down to the people you meet at the store and the product’s quality, you can experience the intention behind it,” shares Mathieu. 

With this foundation, Mathieu debuted Supervsn in 2019, quickly gaining recognition from the city of Mayer attracting a diverse community, including teen skaters eager to purchase the brand’s offerings—from stickers for helmets and skateboards to new clothes. What sets Supervsn apart is its status as an in-house creative studio powered by his dedicated team. The vision extends beyond commerce to fostering community connections, exemplified by events like ‘Slauson Saturdays,’ where vendors and creatives converge for a vibrant, social atmosphere. Their neighboring Black-owned businesses, 444IV WELLNESS LOUNGE, and Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, promoting on the same day, turned their programming into a block party.

We spoke with Gavin Mathieu about Supervsn’s journey, prioritizing authenticity, and focusing on building a legacy around creative wellness and entrepreneurship.

Essence.com: Reflecting on the past five years of Supervsn’s journey, what lessons have you learned about the power of perseverance and staying true to your vision, especially in an ever-evolving fashion landscape?

Gavin Mathieu: It feels good to know that we are more vital now than ever. We started at a tricky time. We survived the pandemic. We survived the social challenges post-George Floyd, which are still going on. But I feel so good about what the challenges did for us and built a strong business. And so, in the next five years, you’re going to see us start jumping in the end zone. Do you know what I mean? Doing touchdown dances. 

As you expand Supervsn’s local and global presence, what guiding principles do you prioritize to ensure that growth remains rooted in authenticity and integrity?

We’re definitely growing and partnering with retailers that respect the brand, understand what we’re about, and represent us properly. Although it’s one of the larger challenges, keeping the mission and the message pure and ensuring the intention is felt. I’ve learned that controlled growth allows you to make sure that every interaction is an earned relationship rather than a paid one, or it doesn’t feel the richness of it is not sacrificed. It’s just resetting the intention and saying, okay, let’s always make sure that no matter how big we get, we lead with creativity, we lead with the ideas. We’re strong and creative and then letting it trickle down from there, rather than the reverse being strong, clothing creative as an afterthought. 

What are your upcoming goals for Supervsn and the store? 

We are focused on the brand’s storytelling, content, aesthetics, and visuals. We might be making a movie, and we have dope collaborations lined up for this year that will run the gamut of social scale. But they are true stories that we want to tell. I want to stay true to what I love, including design, creative direction, and commercials.

What’s your key to hiring the right people? 

It’s essential to me that people believe in life’s greater mission and purpose for them, whether it is here or not. I respect people’s time. Losing my father early on showed me that life is short. People have to choose where they want to be. I want you to be here because you enjoyed it. I want people to be happy when they wake up and when they come to work, love it. We also host dinners, go bowling and taco nights, and go on creative retreats.

How are you building a legacy through your brand? 

The first pillar is creative wellness. Whatever we do, we want the generation that comes after us to be healthy creatives and entrepreneurs. I plan to invest in the structure around the company’s foundation and build the team to be as strong as the clothing or studio sides. When we started our foundation, our paid internship program was the first initiative and program we’ve been running [ where it pairs youth with corporate and small business spaces]. And we will continue that and add additional initiatives and things that speak on the other pillars of our foundation, including creative wellness, entrepreneurship, and design thinking.

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Supermodel Anok Yai has a captivating presence that will turn heads when she enters a room. Her glowing chocolate skin, well-manicured nails, and stylish hair are sure to have you taking notes. It makes sense why she’s the muse in campaigns for Acne Studios and Louis Vuitton in addition to being the love interest in Travis Scott and Lil Yachty music videos. As for the latest thing that makes her stand out? The intoxicating fragrance she wears. Specifically, as a Mugler brand ambassador, it’s only natural she’s rocking their latest eau de parfum, Alien Hypersense.

“I love the crazy ideas that they bring to the table,” Yai tells ESSENCE ahead of the fragrance’s launch dinner last night. “Whenever we have anything to do with each other, it always comes from a place of love and creativity. It truly is a family.” 

For Yai, Alien Hypersense brings out her sensual side; making it perfect to wear at night, thanks to sultry hints of jasmine, green mandarin, and pear accord. It might seem surprising, but she also sprays the fragrance on her bed, hotel sheets, airplane seats, and everywhere in between. Scent keeps her grounded, especially when she is traveling. “Smelling something familiar allows me to know where I am by the scent,” she explains.

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Aside from fragrance making her feel confident, Yai’s self-care go-tos include eyelash curlers, sunscreen, and microcurrent facials. She’s also a gym girlie. “I go to the gym every day,” she says. “That’s where I take out all my frustrations and anger.” 

Along with serving fierce looks in this incredible partnership, she also shares her biggest confidence lesson. “The way that you look is a manifestation of how you feel. Beauty is not something that you put on yourself,” Yai says. “It’s something that’s inside of you and once you find it, no one can take it away.”

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Black children are interested in careers in STEM, but access gaps make it a bit harder for their dreams to become a reality.

Or at least that the gist of a recently released report from tech skills platform YouScience® and Black Girls Do STEM, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to further Black STEM representation. 2024 Black Students and STEM Report focuses on what we have long-known: there are significant career exposure gap exists due to underrepresentation in STEM careers, not a lack of interest from Black children.

“As a Black woman in STEM, I have seen first-hand the lack of representation for women, especially Black women, in these in-demand career fields,” said Cynthia Chapple, Founder and CEO of Black Girls Do STEM in a news release. “However, I have long felt that the solution to this lies within redefining education for Black students through access to identity affirming informal learning environments; so they understand the full scope of their aptitudes, and also the full scope of what careers are possible.” “Working with YouScience has confirmed that notion by truly showcasing the possibilities for our students based on their unique, individual aptitudes.”

In the engineering and science spaces, Black female workers make up just 1.8% of the total workforce.

The report also points out a chasm between male and female interest and access in the stem fields. Despite some information that suggests girls are less interested in STEM careers than boys, The 2024 Black Students and STEM Report found the contrary. For example, some of its key findings state that 88% more Black female students they surveyed have an aptitude for careers in Advanced Manufacturing.

“For decades, Black students have encountered inequities that have impacted their pathways in education and then career,” said Edson Barton, Founder and CEO of YouScience in a news release. “It’s imperative to recognize that Black students possess the aptitude for all STEM careers, but the glaring exposure gap remains a formidable challenge due to resource deficiencies and lack of representation. By bridging the exposure gaps and doing so earlier in education, society can help Black students understand all of the opportunities available to them and connect them with education and career pathways and programs that can foster even more skills and understanding,”“One of the most notable programs helping to bridge the gap for students is Black Girls Do STEM. This organization and Cynthia Chapple are working diligently to provide female students with the opportunity to learn, create and build confidence in their abilities to pursue STEM careers.”

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