EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN LAB Hoping to impact the fashion and design industry, the Experimental Design Lab project was built in 2021 from a partnership between Prada, the Rebuild Foundation, and Dorchester Industries, a design and manufacturing platform from Gates. The idea with the Experimental Design lab was to support emerging designers of color from Chicago and beyond by expanding their visibility, promoting mentorship and collaboration, as well as building a network of important connections that could potentially support and enhance the works of these artists. From a variety of areas, from fashion to dance, to product design, to culinary arts, the participants of the project were nominated based on their creative potential in their industries. This project is an 18-month fellowship where the participants receive financial and leadership support for their creations. In an interview with the Chicago Tribute, Gates reinforced the need for projects such as the Experimental Design Lab, “For too long, there has been an evident pipeline and visibility barrier for designers of color working across the creative industries, and the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab not only challenges the notion that Black talent is hard to identify but also serves as an inescapable answer to it. It is a tremendous honor to be able to celebrate, support, and amplify the work of these designers working to enrich our collective understanding of and interactions with design.”
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