Cultural Heritage Meets Contemporary Design
Genesis House and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) return with the third annual CFDA | Genesis House AAPI Design + Innovation Grant Program, continuing a shared commitment to championing innovative voices within the fashion industry. Supported by a network of distinguished mentors and advisors across fashion, technology, and innovation, the program invites three emerging AAPI designers to develop bespoke capsule collections that explore the dynamic interplay between cultural heritage and contemporary design.
This year features the work of Allina Liu, Kim Shui, and Terrence Zhou, whose deeply personal perspectives and forward-looking practices reflect the ongoing evolution of AAPI creativity in fashion.
Terrence Zhou is a New York City–based designer and creative director, and founder of the fashion and art brand Bad Binch TONGTONG, working at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, performance, and installation. Born in Wuhan, China, he approaches the body as a system through which form, space, and meaning are recalibrated. With a background in mathematics, his practice draws on structure and repetition while engaging metaphysical inquiry, spiritual transformation, and extraterrestrial exploration as conceptual frameworks.
Positioned between contemporary art and global pop culture, Zhou’s work has appeared in projects with The Kardashians, Cardi B, SZA, and other leading cultural figures, shaping a visual language that bridges mass visibility and conceptual rigor. He was recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for shaping culture through interdisciplinary practice.
Allina Liu is a New York City–based womenswear label founded after the designer’s experiences at The Row, Thakoon, Rebecca Taylor, and J.Crew. The brand explores tension and harmony between opposites, drawing from shibari knotting, fiber artist Do Ho Suh, photographers Nobuyoshi Araki and Ren Hang, and 17th-century Dutch portraiture. These influences manifest in sculptural silhouettes and intricate construction that feel both intimate and intentional.
Liu's designs have also been highlighted across a number of publications such as Vogue, WWD, Marie Claire, W, NYLON, The Cut, Hypebae and worn by celebrities such as Cardi B, Awkwafina, Microsoft, and many more. With an unwavering focus on quality, sustainable practices, and ethical labor, Allina Liu positions itself in deliberate contrast to fast fashion.
Kim Shui is a New York City–based womenswear brand redefining the image of the American woman through cultural dialogue and radical self-expression. Founded as an act of resistance, the label centers on women who have been traditionally sidelined, using apparel to start conversations that bridge cultures and reflect Shui’s experience as a first-generation American. The brand transforms heritage, femininity, and identity into sources of power and celebration.
Shui has received international recognition, including TIME Next Generation Leader, CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist, and Forbes 30 Under 30. The brand’s striking designs have attracted major names including Kylie Jenner, Dua Lipa, Hailey Bieber, Solange Knowles, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. It has also partnered with global brands such as Afterpay, Jordan Brand, and Nike on exclusive collaborations.
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