Emerging Designer Residency
The Emerging Designer Residency was created to support designers in the early stages of their careers, providing them a platform to gain visibility and grow. NYCxDESIGN and Arts Thread partnered to present the 2026 edition of this dynamic program in New York City. Four talented recent graduates from diverse design disciplines set up their studios in a bustling public space at Hudson Yards, showcasing impressive projects and works in progress to the community.
Previous Editions Emerging Designers
Edition 2025
Erika Choe
Ceramics
Erika Choe
Ceramics
Erika Choe, an interdisciplinary artist, investigates the intersection of technology, bodies and capitalism through various mediums like performance, installation, video, sculpture, and writing. With an MFA from School of Visual Arts and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from University of Virginia, her work has been recognized with awards and commissions by NYCxDESIGN, MoMA Design Store, D&AD, ACDA Gala, and ARTSTHREAD. She has also performed in prestigious venues including the Shed, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and Schrittmaacher Festival in Germany. After years of dancing professionally in NYC and Chicago, and working as strategist & designer for startups and creative agencies, Erika’s practice engages the body as the material to question the impact of technology and capitalism on humanity. Through the lenses of Neimanis’s Hydrofeminism and Haraway’s Posthumanism, Erika seeks to imbue themes of care and soft futures into the work she creates.
Juliana Serna Mesa
Lighting
Juliana Serna Mesa
Lighting
Juliana (she/her) is an Industrial Designer and creative technology enthusiast. Her work compiles physical objects to digital experiences across diverse interfaces. After graduating from Parsons School of Design with an MFA in Design & Technology, she has been intrigued by transdisciplinary speculations on the future of analog and digital interactions with a particular interest in the rise of ambient computing and calm tech. Her creative work has been recognized by IBM, Columbia University, The New School, Global Citizen NYC, Megosu, iie, & Domus Academy.
Lilach Porges
Fashion through technology
Lilach Porges
Fashion through technology
Leela Porges is an Israeli fashion designer with an academic background in architecture. She uses parametric design methods to create textiles and garments. Lilach wishes to combine fashion with technology and to research more sustainable production methods to create the fashion of the future. Her work centers around developing innovative methods for 3d printed garments with robotic arms, exploring architectonic shapes with the ambition to bring the worlds of science, engineering, and fashion together to empower women.
Alexandra Soiseth
Textiles
Alexandra Soiseth
Textiles
Alexandra Soiseth is an artist, designer and researcher exploring the tactile relationship between fabric surfaces and digital screens. She recently graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with an MFA in Textiles, where she specialized in surface and pattern design. Previously, Alexandra worked as a graphic designer for the non-profit world, moonlighting as a costume designer for theater and dance. Her current work and research is situated at the intersection of digital technology and the theatricality of material behavior.
Close