HISTORY

In 1937, the Young Men's Apparel Association of the Men's Apparel Industry (YMAMAI) was created as an industry networking organization. Its aim was to encourage young hopefuls to meet and rub elbows with industry leaders and in so doing establish beneficial relationships for their futures.

After being depleted of members by World War II casualties, YMAMAI was reborn, to rise from its own ashes. There followed a drive to educate the post-war generation in the ways of the apparel industry through seminars and study clinics.

Renamed, the Young Menswear Association, or YMA, the organization broadened its scope and in 1971 began productive programs designed to support individual scholars studying for careers in apparel and textile disciplines. The program began with annual scholarship grants of just $500. Over the years YMA steadily increased its grants to $5,000.

In 2006 [the] YMA was renamed YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund (YMAFSF) to reflect its focus beyond men’s wear. The organization received a $1 million bequest from the Estate of Geoffrey Beene. In 2007, YMAFSF announced that The Geoffrey Beene Foundation would contribute an additional $2 million over the next five years including Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Awards of $25,000 to be awarded annually to four outstanding scholars. [Due to this generosity,] the name of YMAFSF’s annual fundraising dinner in New York was changed to The YMA Geoffrey Beene Scholarship Dinner.

Through the YMAFSF endowment program Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), State University of New York (SUNY) and North Carolina State University were each endowed with $50,000 in 1997 to encourage students to pursue advanced study degrees. In 1998, Parsons the New School for Design received its first endowment of $30,000 in support of enhanced educational programs. Since the inception of our endowment program, the YMAFSF has established endowments in the names of distinguished former Presidents and Chairmen of our organization, and in support of educational programs at Brandeis University, Cornell University, Philadelphia University, and Pratt Institute.

Our scholarship committee is continually working to expand our scholarship program and increase the number of participating schools. Accumulated support is in excess of $5,400,000 to date.

For the 2007 academic year, a total of 91 scholars received YMAFSF Scholarships. Since its inception, YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund has provided financial assistance to over 600 college students in pursuit of careers in the fashion industry.

Ours is a unique industry program, envisioned to support academic performance of meritorious students and to insure continuity through endowments.

For over three decades the YMAFSF and its forebears have successfully brought fresh talent to the fashion industry.