Mentorship Through Creativity: The Vault x ABLOH AIR Experience
Written by Shira Maltiz
Beginning at The Vault
Being an active member of The Vault and hearing about our collaboration with the Virgil Abloh Foundation, I was eager to apply as a mentor. Going into my freshman year at UW-Madison, The Vault was one club that I consistently heard students praise, specifically its inclusivity and creative collaborations with other businesses on campus. As I’ve become more involved in the club over the past two semesters, it has become clear to me how accurate other students were. The Vault creates a space where students can freely express their creativity and connect with others who share the same passion for fashion, art, media, and business.
Learning about VAF and their Mentorship Program
The Virgil Abloh Foundation is a nonprofit organization that serves as a continuum of Virgil Abloh’s legacy and work. Its mission is to open doors and break barriers for young creatives from their communities who want to pursue careers in various creative industries. The foundation aims to build a more equitable and inclusive community by supporting the next generation of artists and helping them gain exposure and access to opportunities in the fashion industry. Through The Vault x ABLOH AIR Peer Mentorship Program, students at UW are able to collaborate with other teens to create open and honest conversations at different stages of their journeys. The purpose of the mentorship is to give mentees advice that mentors wish they had received at that stage of life while also allowing mentors to “pay it forward,” reflecting Virgil Abloh’s belief in the importance of mentorship across generations. When officially applying for the mentor position, I was not fully sure what the role would entail, but I knew I wanted to be involved in such a unique opportunity to collaborate with others. Us mentors were paired with students from the ABLOH AIR Flight 001 cohort, a group of twelve high school seniors from Chicago who are passionate about pursuing creative careers. I was matched with Amariyah, a teen from Chicago who shared interests with me in fashion and the arts.
Incorporation With The Vault’s annual Fashion Show
The Vault hosts a fashion show each semester, and participating in it for the first time made me feel like I was truly a part of the club. During this past semester’s show, the mentors were told that the mentees would be traveling from Chicago to attend. This visit was an opportunity for the ABLOH AIR students to experience The Vault community firsthand and see how creativity and fashion is expressed on a college campus. On the day of the fashion show, we were given an itinerary and directions for the day. We finally met our mentees in person, and they were buzzing with excitement.
As we talked and got to know each other, I was shocked by how creative these students were. Many of them create their own art, clothing, and music. I felt so grateful to have conversations with people who share the same passions that I do. Watching the fashion show together was such a special moment. They were just as impressed as we were seeing how incredible the looks were. After the show, we gave them a tour around campus and showed them our home at UW-Madison. The entire day was unforgettable.
Moving Forward
Since then, the mentors and mentees have been meeting virtually once a month to catch up, talk about life, and discuss our creative interests. These monthly mentorship calls are part of the six-month Vault x ABLOH AIR mentorship program, which is a chance for us to share our experiences, offer advice, and support each other as creatives. By connecting through mentorship, the program continues Virgil Abloh’s vision of building community, expanding access, and empowering the next generation of creatives. I can’t wait to see what's in-store for the upcoming months with the mentorship program and continuing getting to know more students.
Edited by Claudia Rothberg and Jordyn Salahiddine-Rose
