How did you come up with the idea of having some kind of design contest in Korea?
Yeah, when I worked for Michael Jordan and Nike
I had the opportunity to work with many, many designers of all different levels
Some that were very, very famous
And while I was out traveling the world
I had great conversations with young, up-and-coming, aspiring designers
And I knew at the time that we really wouldn't work with any young designers
So, once I retired, I felt like there was a great opportunity to give back to young talent
that is aspiring to be in the design world
And so, being able to start my own brand
One of the key things that I wanted to do by way of giving back to the community
And giving back to the world that loves design
is create a version of a contest
that would allow young designers a chance to do some great things
And to be known, and to possibly use the funds to start their own companies
Or go to design school, or whatever they want to do with it
So, design is a place where great design happens when there's great stories
And if there's a problem, you create a solution for that problem
And then that solution is very relevant in making it functional
As well as making it aesthetically appealing
And so, anybody that enters into the contest
that we are now putting forth for the young, aspiring designers
Take those things into consideration
How can you solve a problem?
How can you create something aesthetically
that might be very different than what everybody else is doing?
Not being afraid to be different
allows consumers to go to someplace new
So, if you're looking to create something that's fresh, and a fresh perspective,
you have to keep these things in mind
So, as these folks that are interested in entering this contest,
we're going to come back to you with various things for inspiration
that might allow you to kind of focus
and create your own point of inspiration that might lead to a great design
And ultimately, once all the designs are submitted
we will judge who's been the best,
who has the best design
and who has the best concept
And if they need some assistance,
we'll actually assist them in any way possible
so that they can be educated in how to make things better
And then I want to go out
and produce those products for these young, aspiring designers
So, we'll produce it, we'll actually sell it
And we'll give the royalties to that young designer
And hopefully, they can use those funds to either start their own companies
or to take whatever their next journey might be into the design world
They'll be able to use that funding to assist them
So, it should be a fun contest
But it should be an opportunity for young, aspiring designers to showcase their talent
And who knows,
if we get someone that's super phenomenal
They may even work with us in the brand
or use this as part of their resume to do other great things in the industry