Recipient

Genia Charles

S.H. Baik of Young An Hat company generously donated $100,000 on behalf of The Headwear Association towards a scholarship for aspiring designers in the millinery field. This money has funded a scholarship at the famed Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The scholarship has been established as an endowed scholarship award fund with a pledge of $100,000 it will be awarded in perpetuity using the interest earned on the gift. The 2023 recipient of The Headwear Association FIT scholarship is Genia Charles.

Genia Charles was born in New Jersey and raised in Florida. At an early age she developed artistic talents where she took art classes and became an art student throughout her elementary to high school years. During middle school, she found out about the Accessories Design industry when she drew a human foot with a shoe on it and loved the outcome. From then she began learning about and designing handbags and footwear. She has a whimsical style with a focus on abstract wavy lines and colors. She now attends the Fashion Institute of Technology with a AA in Footwear & Accessories Design and is now pursuing her BFA.