Design Matters: FDC + NICOLEHOLLIS Grant
Author:Lindsey ShookCalifornia design icon NICOLEHOLLIS and the Female Design Council have joined forces to create more opportunity and support for female-identified BIPOC designers and architects in the industry with the launch of the FDC + NICOLEHOLLIS grant. The $15,000 grant will be awarded to a WOC-led interior design/architecture firm or individual in the United States so that the winner can expand their company size and/or produce new design collections and receive professional mentorship from the NICHOLEHOLLIS team. This follows FDC’s successful Grant 01 program—launched in 2020—that awarded furniture designer Luam Melake and designer and leather artisan Mia Wright-Ross as the winners.
This amazing effort was created out of recognition of the importance for supporting female-identified creatives. “Our industry needs a far more diverse set of voices, and we want to do our part to bolster new perspectives in design,” said Nicole Hollis, Creative Director and Principal of NICOLEHOLLIS. “Our sincere hope is that this grant will support the sustained growth of one promising emerging studio, one that we can watch thrive for years to come.”
All applications will be reviewed by a panel of notable art, architecture and design leaders, led by Hollis and Lora Appleton, founder of FDC and beloved design gallery kinder MODERN. ”We could not be more excited to partner with Nicole Hollis and her team to continue to provide much needed financial support, mentorship and community to womxn in design & architecture,” said Lora Appleton. “We are humbled by the galleries who supported this grant through auction and hope that these ongoing efforts by Female Design Council and our esteemed partners starts to move the needle on achieving parity and representation for all womxn in design.”
Additional jury members include:
- Tiana Webb Evans, Founder of ESP Group, Jamaica Art Society and Yard Concept
- Michael K. Chen, Founder of MKCA and Co-founder of Design Advocates
- Alison Levasseur, Global Interiors & Garden Editor of Architectural Digest
- Nina Cooke John, Founder of Studio Cooke John
Funded by an auction NICOLEHOLLIS held in April 2021, the grant supports the FDC’s mission to empower more women of color in the design industry and proves how the community can come together to create more equal opportunity. All guidelines and information as well as the application can be found HERE.
