VSU Receives Massive Donation from Global Fashion Designer Coach

VSU chosen by Thurgood Marshall College Fund for “COACH® Closets” Career Readiness Program. 

 Virginia State University has received a massive clothing donation from the Global Fashion House  COACH®.  The nearly two thousand units of business professional attire will support the VSU Career Readiness Program. VSU is one of six universities nationwide chosen by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) to share the 11,000 units of fashion attire.

The items will be divided among the VSU Career Services Center, the HPER (Health, Physical Education, and Recreation) Department, the Reginald F. Lewis College of Business Clothing Store, and the TAMM (Textiles, Apparel, and Merchandise Management) program.  The COACH® items include dresses, jackets, skirts, pants, shirts, and shoes.    

‘’Studies have demonstrated that wearing professional attire can impact perception during an interview, performance in the work environment, and the ability to build self-confidence,” said Joseph Lyons, Executive Director for VSU Student Engagement and Career Services. “Dr. Aurelia Donald and I are excited to develop the partnership with TMCF for the career readiness and transformative experience of Virginia State University students.’’   

While the clothing will be used primarily as business attire, the VSU TAMM program will use the donations to prepare students for careers in the fashion and apparel industries. TAMM students will create their own fashion designs for a retail display window featuring the COACH® items.   

The donations are part of the COACH® Dream It Real initiative which endeavors to help break cycles of inequality by empowering  the next generation to reach their full potential through higher education.   

“We are fortunate to be among the universities chosen to receive this generous donation from such a global fashion powerhouse,” said Dr. Donald E. Palm, VSU Executive Vice President and Provost. “We are thankful to both COACH® and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund for their investment in greater at VSU.” 

 The COACH® and TMCF “COACH® Closets” also donated to Cheyney, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Harris-Stowe State, and Tuskegee Universities.