Olivia Cheng of Dauphinette Is the Winner of the CFDA & Genesis House AAPI Design + Innovation Grant

At a cocktail reception celebrating the second annual AAPI Design + Innovation Grant that the CFDA has partnered with Genesis House on, Steven Kolb remarked that with DEI initiatives currently under threat, programs like this are more important than ever. Olivia Cheng of the label Dauphinette was announced as the winner on the evening, following a life-changing five-month experience that challenged three designers to interpret their Asian culture and create a collection with a focus on inclusion.

“I have so much respect and admiration for Bach and Kozaburo and their work,” Cheng told Vogue, referring to the program’s other participants. “I would have been so happy regardless, so I feel really, really lucky, more than anything, to have had this experience.”

Since this year’s program kicked off with a celebration at NYFW during the September shows, the talented trio have received mentorship from industry titans, $40,000 in funding towards their business, and a two-week trip to Korea to ensure the creative juices and inspiration fountains were really flowing. Each designer was then tasked with creating a modern three-look collection that reflected their current identity and point of view with respect to their backstory, heritage, and enduring influences.

Standing beside her capsule collection—which included a two-piece set constructed from 24-karat gold-plated Ginkgo leaves and a chocolate-hued suit transformed by over 70 brooches of beautiful beetles and butterflies, Cheng said, “I think people think of modernity as clean lines, minimalism, and taking things away, but I think that for myself and my own practice, it’s about taking things that are quotidian and daily and not only ordinary but maybe things that are even undesirable, like these bugs. Things that people tend to cast away and don’t look upon highly, and make those things fantastical and surreal.”

Dauphinette, whose catchy tagline is ‘Bedroom Floor Couture’ was launched by Cheng in 2018. Five years ago, she opened the doors of her whimsical West Village boutique, which has since become a mecca for her fresh takes on sustainability and repurposed fashion and accessories. You’ve likely already seen her always-viral resin-coated toast, croissant, and baguette bags, or her chainmail tops with pressed flowers, or the feather-trimmed pieces that helped put her on the map when she was starting out.