The program will provide three emerging AAPI fashion designers with invaluable education and mentorship from industry leaders across fashion, business, retail, and innovation. 

The Design Challenge is the creative core of the program — pushing each designer to expand their creative boundaries through innovation, craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling.

This year, the program introduces a new milestone-based funding model that emphasizes the collective growth and shared journey of the cohort. Each designer will receive up to $60,000 over the course of the program ($40,000 to support the Design Challenge and $20,000 toward broader business growth).

A new showcase moment — the program will culminate with the Spring Cultural Showcase during AAPI Heritage Month in May 2027.

The program includes a one-week all-expenses-paid immersive cultural trip to Seoul — one of the world’s most dynamic creative capitals — designed to ignite the Design Challenge, a sustained creative push against each designer’s own limits to explore the boundaries of innovation and cultural storytelling.

As finalists in the program, designers may gain visibility within CFDA’s network, potentially opening doors to future opportunities and connections. Additionally, their brands may receive exposure through Genesis House and CFDA’s social media platforms and other promotional initiatives, amplifying their work, achievements, and fostering connections within the fashion community.