It is the eleventh anniversary of the competition for the prize of the French luxury goods group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) for young talent in the field of fashion design.
LVMH announced last week that 20 candidates were selected for the semifinals from more than 2,500 applications from 18 countries, including for the first time Mexico, Moldova and Togo. At the end of the month, the prize contenders will present their collections in Paris, and eight of them will be able to look forward to reaching the finals.
Semifinalists with a focus on women’s fashion
Among the applicants who made it to the semi-finals, there are brands from all over the world as well as many European ones: Duran Lantink, a Dutch label, is represented, as is the Swedish womenswear label Hodakova by Elen Hodakova Larsson and the Belgian fashion house Marie Adam Leenaerdt. Italy’s Niccolò Pasqualetti designs gender-neutral fashion, while Britain’s Paolo Carzana designs for men and women. Also nominated are Fidan Novruzova from Moldova, the French label Pauline Dujancourt, Standing Ground by Irishman Michael Stewart and Ya Yi by Yayi Chen Zhou from Spain.
“I am pleased to be able to welcome so many talented young designers again this year, and I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all participants from all over the world,” said Delphine Arnault, daughter of LVMH boss Bernard Arnault and deputy managing director of Louis Vuitton. “This year’s edition features unique, distinctive designs and the return of sophisticated women’s collections. Many of these brands put research and high aesthetic standards at the heart of their approach, values that are also promoted by the new Savoir Faire award. The award highlights the importance of craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability, three themes that are now at the heart of the fashion and luxury industry’s commitments.”
2023 secured it Japanese Satoshi Kuwata with his label Setchu the main prize. Other famous winners include French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, who won the special prize in 2015, and British label SS Daley, who took home the prize in 2022.
New Savoire Faire Prize
Winners of the LVMH Prize receive 400,000 euros and one year of individual support from the group’s team. The Karl Lagerfeld Prize honors the creativity of a young brand and is endowed with 200,000 euros.
New this year is the Savoire Faire Prize, which places particular emphasis on craftsmanship, technical know-how, innovation and sustainability. In addition to technical support, the award winners receive a sum of 200,000 euros. Three graduates and their fashion schools can look forward to prize money of 10,000 euros each. In addition, they will be accepted into the design studio of one of the group’s fashion houses for a year.
From February 29th to March 5th, the public will have the opportunity to discover the designers and vote for eight favorites. Likewise, an expert committee made up of over 85 international fashion industry experts selects its preferred participants.