TALA Scholarship With Lisa Kline
The Textile Association of Los Angeles gathered once again to recognize student design talent at its 50th-annual scholarship luncheon, held Nov. 30 in the Fashion Theater of the California Market Center.
On display were the designs and artwork of several students from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Otis College of Art + Design, West Valley Occupational Center and Woodbury University.
TALA awarded scholarship funds to students from each school, as well as its top honor, the Betty Baumgarten Scholarship Award. The award gets its name from a former dean of Los Angeles Trade-Tech who left funds in trust for TALA’s scholarship program.
This year’s Baumgarten award winner was Otis student Juan Manuel Chavez.
Los Angeles retailer Lisa Kline was this year’s guest speaker. The Los Angeles native urged the students to learn what their strengths are and to follow their passions.
That’s what Kline did when, at the age of 25, she opened her first store on Robertson Boulevard. The retailer opened a men’s store in 2000, a second women’s store in Malibu in 2004 and her new women’s location on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.
“I grew up in L.A. We don’t have any seasons here, and we don’t have any rules here,” Kline said, adding that the resources in Los Angeles have expanded greatly since she first opened her store 11 years ago.
“The business in L.A. has grown so much,” she said. “I don’t need to go to New York if I don’t want to—but I do. It’s a great time to be in fashion.”
—Alison A. Nieder
