VF-backed Pensole course will help designers to get a leg up
10/03/2021
VF Corp brands Timberland, Vans and The North Face are backing a footwear design course run by the US-based Pensole Academy that will provide access to professional design experience for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) students.
The DiverCity x DESIGN curriculum will equip students with footwear design principles, product creation process, hands-on experience, professional development training and brand engagement.
The top-performing students will win internships at the brands' headquarters.
Pensole founder D'Wayne Edwards said: "DiverCity x DESIGN is an amazing opportunity to reach consumers where they are and provide them a pathway into our industry unlike what they have been afforded before."
"Our partnership with the Pensole Academy is part of the work to build a more inclusive and equitable future," explained Chris McGrath, vice-president of footwear design at Timberland. "Through the programme, aspiring designers will gain insight and experience that will prepare them to launch into a lifelong career.”
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