Art Ortenberg, a founder and vice chairman of Liz Claiborne Inc passed away on Monday, February 3rd at the age 87. Art was a true visionary and in 2009 he helped established the Liz Claiborne Design Scholarship, a supplemental and special award within the CFDA’s existing Scholarship Program. This important design-award program recognizes the important contribution that Liz Claiborne made to the fashion industry, and brings her innovative design aesthetic into the classrooms at the country’s leading design colleges and universities. The award is based solely on merit, as judged by a prestigious panel of industry experts. Art will not only be remembered for his exemplary contributions to cultivating emerging design talent, but for his friendship to the CFDA as well. We remember Art through the work of the students he supported, which can be viewed in the slideshow above.

Below are a list of winners whom benefited from the Liz Claiborne Design Scholarship:

2009 Liz Claiborne Design Scholar

Gohar Rajabzadeh

Miami International University of Art & Design

Honorable Mentions

Niloufar Mozafari

Parsons the New School for Design

Laura Schmits

California College of the Arts

2010 Liz Claiborne Design Scholar

Jusil Carroll

Fashion Institute of Technology

Honorable Mention

Sarah Richards

Rhode Island School of Design

2011 Liz Claiborne Design Scholar

Yejun Lu

Parsons the New School for Design

Honorable Mention

Sydney Halela

Fashion Institute of Technology

2012 Liz Claiborne Design Scholar

Amanda Tran

Academy of Art University

Honorable Mention

Mieko Tominaga

Savannah College of Art & Design

2013 Liz Claiborne Design Scholar

Katherine Absher

Savannah College of Art & Design

Honorable Mention

Trang Le

Academy of Art University

Jessica DeVries

Fashion Institute of Technology