One of the defining elements of American fashion is the generous supply of emerging talent. From New York to Los Angeles, a new wave of young designers are shaking up the industry with their creative spirits.

But what keeps them so creative? We caught up with this year’s crop of Shop with Google American Emerging Designer of the Year nominees – Bach Mai, Connor McKnight, Rachel Scott of Diotima, Carly Mark of Puppets and Puppets, and Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kassell of Tanner Fletcher – to get an inside glimpse into their creative process. Each designer did so with the support of Shop with Google.

Get to know each of the nominees below as they discuss finding inspiration and their hopes for the future.

Rachel Scott, Diotima

“I find inspiration in people, in the way they gesture, in their mannerisms and attitude, and especially in the way they interact with others. It’s a visual language that’s endlessly inspiring. I hope to keep doing what I’m doing but better and more interesting with each collection.”

Carly Mark, Puppets and Puppets

“I find inspiration in conversations with friends and my creative community. I love what I do, and I look forward to building out my Puppets world as cohesively as possible.”

Tanner Richie & Fletcher Kasell, Tanner Fletcher

“Tanner and I find inspiration through pure authenticity. There’s something about seeing someone’s true personality shine through. It’s magical, contagious and there’s nothing like it. We hope to be changemakers in the fashion industry by highlighting authentic characters, removing unnecessary labels, and taking our customers out of a box rather than putting them in one”.

Bach Mai

“I find inspiration in the world around me. I try to keep my eyes open and to stay sensitive because any moment can spark inspiration if you remain open to it. And I always return to the foundations of my creative universe to use as a lens for any inspiration that might come to me.

I hope that fashion will continue to make strides in inclusivity and representation. The landscape is already so different from when I was growing up, but we still have more to go! And most of all, I hope that we can learn to value craft and quality again and begin to quell this worrying trend of overproduction and overconsumption.”

Connor McKnight

“With each collection I explore various themes of black life with an emphasis on emotion and vulnerability within the mundane. I feel that there is a lack of nuance in the perception of the black experience, with an expectation that we will adhere to outdated and narrow definitions of blackness. By highlighting the times in between, I hope to portray a more complete narrative of our lives and cultivate humanity towards our community. In the future, I’d like to see even more representation as I’m just one voice in a bigger conversation.”

The 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards will be held at the American Natural History Museum on November 6^th.