Auburn University College of Human Sciences senior Tori Hogan was recently named a scholar for the Fashion Scholarship Fund for her success as a fashion design visionary and gained a once-in-a-lifetime experience in New York as a scholarship recipient.
Hogan, who is majoring in apparel merchandising, design and production management with an emphasis in apparel design, represented one of 123 scholarship recipients from across the nation and was the only student to represent Auburn University in the class of 2022.
As a Fashion Scholarship Fund recipient, Hogan was treated to a three-day, all expenses paid trip to New York City where she met some of the biggest and brightest names in the design, merchandising, marketing analytics and supply chain industry and was awarded a $7,500 scholarship.
Hogan, along with close to 30 other winners in the design category, met leaders from Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Vogue and more while also attending a Gala fundraising celebration at the Glasshouse in New York City on April 11.
“The Gala was the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” Hogan said. “It was at the Glasshouse in New York City on the Hudson River with a beautiful skyline with beautiful marble floors, three DJs, the creative director of Louis Vuitton was there, the editor-in-chief of Vogue and it was just amazing. The people I got to talk to and getting to see my project there was just the coolest experience that I’ll never forget.”
The project Hogan is referring to is her case study she worked on last year as part of the submission process for the Fashion Scholarship Fund.
Hogan’s case study allowed her to earn one hour of credit where she blended the Fabletics brand with Target retail stores to create an “Athletics to the Office wardrobe” where she was advised and encouraged by Dr. Karla Teel to take on the case study and apply for the Fashion Scholarship Fund.
“I did a collaboration between Target and Fabletics and utilized Fabletics materials at a lower price point to provide the same day pick-up that Target has,” Hogan said. “I also focused on size inclusivity and being able to wear work wear in the office and when you’re working out.”
In addition to the case study, Hogan completed an internship in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. at Montce Swimwear where she learned pre-production and product development, quality control, fit testing, sewing seams, working in Photoshop for e-commerce and more. Hogan also owns her own online business called “Love, Always” and was recently named in the top four for Auburn University’s Student Employee of the Year.
Originally from Maryland, Hogan wanted to go into an industry that uses creativity and she feels that clothing is a great way to express yourself. With an abundance of colleges and design schools to choose from, Hogan chose Auburn.
“Someone actually asked me, ‘Why did you choose Auburn over going to a design school?’ and I said I wanted a college well-rounded experience with a top design program,” Hogan said. “I fell in love with Auburn and the Auburn Family is true. I wouldn’t trade the experiences, the mentorships, the professors and anything I’ve done here for the world. Auburn has made me become who I am, not only what I can do but they’ve also shown me who I want to become.”
Following graduation in May, Hogan isn’t 100 percent sure where she’ll end up to begin her career but she is sure it will be in the fashion industry.
“It’s to be determined but I’m going through the interview process right now and I’m definitely going to head into the fashion industry,” Hogan said.
For more information on the Fashion Scholarship Fund, visit fashionscholarshipfund.org.
