LA's Gen Art Fresh Faces Competition Is Heading to NYFW For Its 20th Anniversary

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Following the opening of its gorgeous DTLA headquarters, national talent platform Gen Art is returning to the fashion game in a major way. The LA-based organization has just announced that after a brief hiatus, Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion—the beloved legacy competition that launched the careers of designers like Rodarte and Phillip Lim—is set to invade New York Fashion Week during September 2015, expanding from a single runway show to a "multi-season design incubator." Founder in 1995, this will mark the competition's 20th anniversary.

Gen Art co-owner Keri Ingvarsson will produce Fresh Faces 2015 alongside an impressive fashion jury that includes former IMG executive Christina Neault, legendary designer Betsey Johnson, fashion TV personality and host Robert Verdi, actress and supermodel Lydia Hearst, Gen Art Fresh Faces alumni Duckie Brown, and many more.

We hear that the organization has opened a global call for nominations to 50 of the world's most prestigious fashion schools and programs. "Our goal is to discover that exceptional under-the-radar talent, already making tracks in his or her career," adds Ingvarsson. "We are seeking that compelling, global candidate who will thrive from Gen Art's ability to fast-track their brand's development."

In addition to being mentored by the Gen Art Fresh Faces fashion jury and receiving significant support via a year-long incubation program, finalists will also score a spot at Gen Art's NY and LA showrooms and at major trade shows, as well as at "a holiday concept shop with a retail/e-tail partner."