Travis Scott on His Commitment to Education and His Love of Design

Travis Scott has been a visual supporter of the Fashion Scholarship Fund for 3 years, however touring and different commitments saved the rapper, producer and entrepreneur from truly celebrating with college students on the annual occasion.

Until this yr.

Scott flew into New York to make an look on the group’s gala Monday night the place he advised 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 subsequent afternoon, Scott and the three students he sponsored visited Nike‘s New York headquarters. The entertainer has partnered with the sports activities firm since 2017 with several of his sneaker designs for both Nike and its Jordan sister brand perennial bestsellers.

Scott first teamed with the FSF in 2024 and final yr, the rapper and his Cactus Jack Foundation embarked on a bigger partnership with the group, launching the Cactus Jack Design Ethos 101 Program. The program awards three college students with $10,000 every in addition to mentorship. The initiative is an internet program that options curriculum created by the Cactus Jack workforce and its companions.

Additionally, two of the scholars are chosen to take part in an immersive expertise on the Cact.us Design Center in Houston.

This yr’s Cactus Jack students are Cameron Elyse Blount from North Carolina AT&T State University in Greensboro, NC, Caira Coleman of Spelman College in Atlanta and Jasmine Cox from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga.

Before assembly with the scholars, Scott sat down with WWD to discuss his dedication to FSF and training on the whole.

“I think education is a true foundation to find inspiration, which spells creativity,” he mentioned. “Going through the learning curve of really things helps craft what you’re trying to do best. Having that knowledge is so important — it keeps people inspired and motivated.”

He mentioned 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 faculty life wasn’t for him and he left in his sophomore yr to focus on his music profession. “It didn’t work out for me because I needed to be surrounded by more creatives,” he mentioned.

And in his case, he labored out, translating right into a profession that has led to a slew of top-selling albums, eight Grammy Award nominations and sell-out excursions. Beyond his music profession, he is additionally a producer, the “chief visionary” for Oakley and works with NASA. In 2020, I’ve partnered with Dior on a particular assortment.

The students he has sponsored over the previous two years have additionally begun their creativity journey. They have all designed their very own collections and Scott is proud to see how they’ve 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 students are all centered on advertising and marketing and Scott mentioned that Coleman’s thought — a collaboration between Def Jam and Kith the place purchasers can unlock unique music when shopping for a bit from the gathering — is “Cool.”

“It might be a far-fetched idea, but it’s interesting to see the way their brains are turning,” he mentioned.

“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 mentioned. “I think that’s future-leaning, putting it in the hands of people who see the world a little bit differently.”

Asked whether or not he ever thought-about changing into a designer, he mentioned: “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 subsequent Nike sneaker collab would possibly hit, Scott mentioned he additionally has his personal line of Cactus Jack sneakers that he is 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 reputation that’s private to the rapper. It comes from a nickname that his mom gave him. “My real name is Jacques,” mentioned 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 cacti, 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 recommendation did he give his students as they put together to graduate and enter the workforce?

“You gotta see it through,” he mentioned. “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 complicated.”

During the Nike go to, the scholars additionally confirmed Scott the case research they created that received them the scholarships and helped them get chosen as Cactus Jack students. In addition to Coleman’s Def Jam x Kith thought, Cox had a presentation of Thom Browne and Sharpie whereas Blount leaned right into a Telfar partnership together with her faculty and different HBCUs (traditionally Black faculties and universities).

Following their go to with Scott, who characterised their case research as “dope,” the scholars had been much more impressed to make their mark. As Cox mentioned: “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, government director of the FSF, mentioned Scott’s participation within 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 greater than $1.9 million in scholarships to 160 Class of 2026 FSF Scholars and Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholars.