Fashion designer Stella McCartney and Bruce Pask, associate vice president of the men’s fashion office for Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, are set to address graduates at this year’s Savannah College of Art and Design commencement ceremonies.
McCartney is set to speak at the ceremony for the Savannah campus while Pask will address students in Atlanta, according to a press release. The ceremony in Savannah will take place May 29 at the Savannah Convention Center, and the Atlanta ceremony will take place May 30 at the Gateway Center Arena @ College Park.
A record number of students are expected to walk in these ceremonies.
“This spring, the largest graduating class in SCAD history, more than 4,600 Bees, joins the world’s most influential network of elite, creative pros,” said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace in the release. “Across fashion houses, film studios, and Fortune 500 brands, SCAD alumni shape culture at the highest level. As the careers of our commencement speakers — visionary designer and sustainability entrepreneur Stella McCartney and fashion authority Bruce Pask — demonstrate, creativity with conviction can change the world.”
Pask has served as a visiting mentor, juror, and advisor to the SCAD School of Fashion since 2019.
“I am honored and truly moved to be joining the SCAD Atlanta 2026 commencement ceremony, sharing this milestone and celebration with some of the brightest, most expansively creative minds as they prepare to embark upon their next great chapters and world-changing careers,” Pask said in the release. “It has been an absolute inspiration and a joy to have served as a mentor to the School of Fashion’s seniors these past few years. I have built relationships with students and faculty that are creative exchanges and have transformed my life.”
This year’s SCAD Atlanta valedictorian is Kalina Richardson, graduating with a B.F.A. in graphic design. The Salutatorian is Christian “Haley” Vaughn, graduating with a B.F.A. in illustration. Excelsus Laureate is Randall Swoopes II, graduating with an M.F.A. in interactive design and game development.
