From the Magazine Digital Covers Marsai Martin on Partnering with Hollister for a Good Cause, Possibly Launching Her Own Fashion Line One Day The former Black-ish star recently teamed up with Hollister for the relaunch of its Brand Agent Program, which aims to help high school students pursue their passions through its FWD Fund By Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE's TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 7, 2022 02:52PM EDT Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Marsai Martin's onto her next passion project, and this one's all about uplifting other teens. The 17-year-old Black-ish alum, who is a face of fashion brand Hollister, is partnering with the popular clothing brand for the relaunch of its Brand Agent Program (a nationwide ambassador program) to include high schools across the United States. Additionally, the brand will use its "Hollister FWD Fund" to financially support their entrepreneurial passions. Teens Gabby Ragsdale of California, Michael Burrell, Jr. of Illinois, Brooke Sibla of California, Antonio Arguelles of Texas, Zara Mendes of New Jersey and Zikora Akanegbu of Maryland were chosen to be a part of the program. Martin recently hosted the students at an intimate gathering with Hollister at NYC's Spring Studios, where their work was showcased. Each young designer's creations drew inspiration from their own personal experience. Courtesy of Hollister "My partnership with Hollister has been one of my favorite things that I've done this year," Martin told PEOPLE exclusively. "So when the opportunity presented itself to work together again, it was a no-brainer." The actress and producer continued, "The FWD Fund and the opportunities it provides young designers is a great thing. Kids my age need a village to support their dreams and Hollister stepped up in a big way." The young designers involved in Hollister's FWD Fund have inspired Martin in more ways than one. When asked whether the group's work influenced her desire to create her own fashion line someday, Martin said: "Yes! Actually, yes." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I love creating in any aspect. So, we'll see. I love seeing other people shine, seeing what they can do with their mindset," she continued. "Fashion is a really big world. We'll see. Anything is possible!" When it comes to her own style, Martin said she tends to "draw inspiration from earlier eras like the '90s and '00s." "My family loves fashion. My greatest inspiration for fashion was my Grandma Phyllis," she added. "She was always fly! And that rubbed off on me." John Lamparski/Getty Black-ish Star Marsai Martin Hits Back at Trolls for Criticizing Her Hair and Teeth at BET Awards Martin has achieved great success at such a young age. At 14, she became Hollywood's youngest executive producer for her 2019 film Little, which she starred in alongside Issa Rae and Regina Hall. This accomplishment allowed her to become a Guinness World Records title holder. Addressing whether she feels pressure on what projects she's tackled thereafter, Martin said: "No, not really." "I wouldn't say pressure, but I will say this: my projects that I am doing now are projects that have been 2-4 years in the making. So the ideas that 14–16-year-old me had are different from the current ideas that I have," she continued. "So, the way I create and ideate now, I take into account the time it takes from idea generation, pitch, pre-production, principal photography, re-shoots and post, then release so that it's still in alignment with where I am as a person transitioning from young adult to adulthood."