Reflections from 2022’s Fashion Scholarship Fund Gala with Executive Director Peter Arnold

What images come to mind when you think of a fundraising gala? Windowless ballrooms? Rubber-chicken dinners? Cash bars? Yeah, we’ve all been to events like that. But no one is going to put up with boring and self-congratulatory fundraisers in a post-Covid world. Especially not in the fashion industry. Peter Arnold, Executive Director at the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF), said it best, “Galas are necessary for fundraising and generating awareness, but guests need to know the why.” For 123 motivated fashion and retail career-minded college students from around the country, the why was clear. On Monday evening, FSF showed its donors what their contributions help to achieve, celebrating the 123 scholars in this year’s FSF class, including 23 Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund winners, during FSF LIVE at NYC’s new Glasshouse. XP Land had the chance to catch up with Peter after Monday’s festivities to reflect on the planning and execution of this year’s gala, the importance of evenings such as this for nonprofits and all the tears in the room celebrating both the scholars and one deeply missed board member. Full disclosure: Liberty & Co., the creative geniuses behind XP Land, produced Monday night’s FSF Gala and worked with Peter...