Few things beat a languid summer evening in New York City – and Wednesday night’s celebration of the CFDA | Genesis House AAPI Design + Innovation Grant launch  perfectly made the point.

Genesis House in the Meatpacking District is a Korean-inspired place built to – in the brand’s own words – exude harmony and balance in elegant home-like environs.

The evening’s guests, including Jodie Turner-Smith, Prabal Gurung, Andrew Kwon, Ji Oh, Gemma Kahng, Grace Ling, and Mimi So, felt the vibe.

As CFDA CEO Steven Kolb put it, Genesis House “unifies design and innovation to create a space that celebrates the Genesis brand and its Korean heritage in harmony with its surroundings.”

The CFDA | Genesis House AAPI Design + Innovation Grant will provide three rising fashion designers with invaluable education and mentorship from notable industry leaders along with funding from Genesis.

Submissions to apply for participation in the program will open later this summer.

Also on hand for the launch were Fernando Garcia, Eugenia Kim, Sang A Im-Propp, Michelle Ochs, Lauren Ezersky, Maria Cornejo, and Dylan Cao and Jin Kay from Commission, among others.

“CFDA is excited to join Genesis House tonight to celebrate the launch of a wonderful new grant program shining a spotlight on the incredible innovation in the AAPI designer community,” Kolb added. “This is a unique opportunity for three up-and-coming designers to celebrate their heritage and grow their brands. On behalf of myself and Rachel Espersen of Genesis, I want to extend our gratitude to our mentors for their participation in the program and to everyone for joining us in celebration of the launch this evening.”