NEW YORK CITY: Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for theatre and publisher of this magazine, has announced Tianyu Lei and Viktoriia Shlenova as the 2026 recipients of the Willa Kim Costume Design Scholarship. Administered by TCG (the publisher of American Theatre) with support from the estate of costume designer Willa Kim, it provides talented costume designers in a university or professional training program with the opportunity to supplement their fine arts training in hand-drawing and painting. The scholarship honors Kim’s legacy and her life’s work as a pioneer, legend, and inspiration.
“The Willa Kim Costume Design Scholarship honors emerging designers whose artistry helps shape the future of theatre through imagination, rigor, and visual storytelling,” said Emilya Cachapero, co-executive director of national and global programming at TCG, in a statement. “This year’s recipients embody the spirit of exploration and creativity that shaped Willa Kim’s extraordinary legacy. Through their commitment to the craft, Tianyu Lei and Viktoriia Shlenova represent a next generation of artists whose work will continue to enrich the theatre ecology.”
Lei is a costume designer currently pursuing his MFA in Costume Design at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. Born and raised in Beijing, he began his formal training in stage and costume design as an undergraduate. His artistic practice is deeply informed by traditional Chinese aesthetics, the legacy of China’s first generation of stage designers, and his cross-cultural experience with both Chinese and American performance traditions. In addition to costume design, he also has training in mask making, millinery, puppet making, and stage makeup. He hopes to continue bringing together ideas from Chinese and American theatre design as he develops his own artistic voice. tianyucostume.com
Shlenova is a costume and fashion designer from Moscow, currently pursuing her MFA in Costume Design at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her work bridges fashion and theatre, combining visual storytelling with research-driven design. Her fashion collections have been presented at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and her creative work has been recognized through the international Young Designers Competition “Exercise” and Red Bull Doodle Art. In theatre, she has received the Jane Childs DTM Legacy Award at KCACTF, a Regional Mention in Costume Design, and an Achievement in Costume Parade award at ACTF. Selected projects and her portfolio can be viewed at viktoriiashlenova.com
Scholarship recipients receive up to $7,500 to be used toward tuition, registration fees, supplies, and/or travel expenses over a one-year period. The Willa Kim Costume Design Scholarship panel included Callie Floor, Maile Speetjens, and Sara Ryung Clement.
Previous Willa Kim Recipients
Tianyu Lei is a costume designer currently pursuing his MFA in costume design at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. Born and raised in Beijing, he began his formal training in stage and costume design as an undergraduate. His artistic practice is deeply informed by traditional Chinese aesthetics, the legacy of China’s first generation of stage designers, and his cross-cultural experience with both Chinese and American performance traditions. These influences continue to inspire him to think about the future possibilities of costume design for the stage. His work spans theatre, musicals, dance, and film. He draws inspiration from fashion, Asian designers, and visual traditions across cultures. His cross-cultural education and creative experience have led him to think beyond surface-level stylization and to explore a more honest and character-driven approach to costume design. In addition to costume design, he also has training in mask making, millinery, puppet making, and stage makeup. He hopes to continue bringing together ideas from Chinese and American theatre design as he develops his own artistic voice.
Viktoriia Shlenova is a costume and fashion designer from Moscow, Russia, currently pursuing her MFA in costume design at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her work bridges fashion and theatre, combining visual storytelling with research-driven design. Her fashion collections have been presented at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and her creative work has been recognized through the international Young Designers Competition “Exercise” and Red Bull Doodle Art. In theatre, she has received the Jane Childs DTM Legacy Award at KCACTF, a Regional Mention in Costume Design, and an Achievement in Costume Parade award at ACTF. She was also selected for the Cirque du Soleil Training Ground Program. Shlenova is passionate about costume history, construction, pattern making, rendering, and the design process. Through her work, she continues to explore how costume can shape character, movement, and storytelling on stage. In addition to her design practice, she is interested in costume construction, mentorship, and design education.
Willa Kim was a costume designer for ballet, theatre, opera, and television. Among many honors were Tony Awards for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies and Tommy Tune’s The Will Rogers Follies, and Tony nominations for Peter Allen’s Legs Diamond, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song & Dance, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, and Joel Grey’s Goodtime Charley. She won Drama Desk Awards for Jean Genet’s The Screens, Irene Fornes’ Promenade, and Sam Shepard’s Operation Sidewinder. Kim received lifetime achievement awards from the Fashion Institute of Technology and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. The Theatre Development Fund honored her with the Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2007, she was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.
Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, leads for a just and thriving theatre ecology. Since its founding in 1961, TCG’s constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to over 750 member theatres and affiliate organizations and over 3,000 individual members. Through its programs and services, TCG reaches over one million students, audience members, and theatre professionals each year.
