Travis Scott has been a visible supporter of the Fashion Scholarship Fund for three years, but touring and other commitments kept the rapper, producer and entrepreneur from actually celebrating with students at the annual event.
Until this year.
Scott flew into New York to make an appearance at the group’s gala Monday night where he told the attendees: “Keep pushing the limits. Always put yourself out there. Even if you don’t trust your ideas, just go with your gut and you’ll figure it out. Thank you guys for locking in with what we’re doing, believing in what we’re doing. I can’t wait to see what you guys do in the future, what you guys create…Everyone, keep going to the next level and let’s take creativity to the world and back.”
The next afternoon, Scott and the three scholars he sponsored visited Nike’s New York headquarters. The entertainer has partnered with the sports company since 2017 with several of his sneaker designs for both Nike and its Jordan sister brand perennial bestsellers.
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Scott first teamed with the FSF in 2024 and last year, the rapper and his Cactus Jack Foundation embarked on a larger partnership with the group, launching the Cactus Jack Design Ethos 101 Program. The program awards three students with $10,000 each as well as mentorship. The initiative is an online program that features curriculum created by the Cactus Jack team and its partners.
Additionally, two of the students are selected to participate in an immersive experience at the Cact.us Design Center in Houston.
This year’s Cactus Jack scholars are Cameron Elyse Blount from North Carolina AT&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., Caira Coleman of Spelman College in Atlanta and Jasmine Cox from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga.
Before meeting with the students, Scott sat down with WWD to talk about his commitment to FSF and education in general.
“I think education is a true foundation to find inspiration, which spells creativity,” he said. “Going through the learning curve of things really helps craft what you’re trying to do best. Having that knowledge is so important — it keeps people inspired and motivated.”
He said that when he attended the University of Texas, “The best thing I got out of it was just seeing many different people, how they move and what they’re doing on a day-to-day basis.”
But he admitted that college life wasn’t for him and he left in his sophomore year to focus on his music career. “It didn’t work out for me because I needed to be surrounded by more creatives,” he said.
And in his case, it worked out, translating into a career that has led to a slew of top-selling albums, eight Grammy Award nominations and sell-out tours. Beyond his music career, he’s also a producer, the “chief visionary” for Oakley and works with NASA. In 2020, he partnered with Dior on a special collection.
The scholars he has sponsored over the past two years have also begun their creativity journey. All have designed their own collections and Scott is proud to see how they have matured. “It’s interesting seeing them in college and now that they’re older — two or three years removed — and what they’re doing with their brands, getting their ideas off and taking that next step.”
The three 2026 scholars are all focused on marketing and Scott said that Coleman’s idea — a collaboration between Def Jam and Kith where purchasers can unlock exclusive music when buying a piece from the collection — is “Cool.”
“It might be a far-fetched idea, but it’s interesting to see the way their brains are turning,” he said.
“Kids have twisted marketing and are taking things into their own hands — not really needing the ultra-big campaign companies to try to run the program anymore,” he said. “I think that’s future-leaning, putting it in the hands of people who see the world a little bit differently.”
Asked whether he ever considered becoming a designer, he said: “Music and design are the same thing. And in the same sense, it’s like designing. My love and passion came from designing graphic Ts, making my own merch, doing drawings to reflect where I’m at musically or in my career that ended up becoming other things that I like, whether it’s food, watches, shoes, cars, buildings, furniture.”
Although he declined to tip his hand on when his next Nike sneaker collab might hit, Scott said he also has his own line of Cactus Jack sneakers that he’s working on now. “We put out one silhouette and I’m working on a slew of things in the future. I’ve been working in the shoe space for a while and I can’t wait to deliver it.”
Cactus Jack is a name that is personal to the rapper. It comes from a nickname that his mother gave him. “My real name is Jacques,” said Scott who was born Jacques Bermon Webster. “My mom calls me Baby Jack because my dad’s name is Big Jack. And I’m from Texas, growing up in a rural city where there aren’t cactuses, but it’s more about the rough road and the beauty of the landscape, colors, flowers that make up the ethos of what inspired me as an artist, as a creative.”
So what advice did he give his scholars as they prepare to graduate and enter the workforce?
“You gotta see it through,” he said. “A lot of people tell you, don’t give up. But the new form of giving up is quitting on ideas, switching to another without seeing one through. Somebody might think: this idea can get me to where I want to go faster, instead of seeing the main idea through. Once you start doing that, it gets tricky.”
During the Nike visit, the students also showed Scott the case studies they created that won them the scholarships and helped get them selected as Cactus Jack scholars. In addition to Coleman’s Def Jam x Kith idea, Cox had a presentation of Thom Browne and Sharpie while Blount leaned into a Telfar partnership with her college and other HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities).
Following their visit with Scott, who characterized their case studies as “dope,” the students were even more inspired to make their mark. As Cox said: “We’re ready for the world. My foot is on the gas. We’re about to graduate, and it’s just been an amazing, inspiring year. It’s definitely been life-changing.”
Coleman agreed. “The work can be so daunting, especially as a young Black woman trying to break into corporate America. But this is giving me the confidence to really break through.”
Peter Arnold, executive director of the FSF, said Scott’s participation in the group is “really meaningful. He’s got a keen interest in the industry and we’re grateful for his support.”
Overall, the FSF awards more than $1.9 million in scholarships to 160 Class of 2026 FSF Scholars and Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholars.
