CFDA and Genesis name three designers competing for AAPI grant

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Genesis have announced the three designers that will be competing for the CFDA x Genesis House AAPI Design and Innovation Grant.

From September 6, Grace Ling, Andrew Kwon and co-founders of Private Policy, Siying Qu and Haoran Li, will undergo a five-month challenge that tasks them with creating a collection that represents the juxtaposition of Asian heritage and modernity.

With a panel moderated by Zanna Roberts Rossi, the group will each be paired with a mentor to guide them through the design process, and will also be given a 40,000 dollar grant to fund their collections.

These mentors include designer Prabal Gurung, innovation consultant Grace Cha and senior director of global marketing at Google Stephanie Horon, who will work alongside an advisory board featuring Monse founders Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, actress Jodie Turner-Smith and CFDA CEO Steven Kolb, among others.

In a release, Kolb said he was “thrilled” with the participating designers, adding: “Grace Ling, Andrew Kwon, and Private Policy are a strong representation of AAPI talent, who, in different ways, represent their heritage in meaningful ways and a desire to innovate and improve creativity in American fashion.”

The designers’ collections are set to be unveiled at Genesis House early next year, with the winning designer to then receive a further 60,000 dollars, bringing their total award to 100,000 dollars.