Portraits of the LVMH Prize 2017 candidates
France’s LVMH has named the 21 designers culled from approximately 1,200 candidates from 90 countries in the running for the fourth annual LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers.
Month-long submissions were opened Jan. 17, and LVMH made its shortlist public Feb. 23 and will whittle the selection down to eight finalists for March 2. The LVMH Prize continues the luxury conglomerate’s mission to identity, mentor and support emerging design talent to safeguard its industry and facilitate future collaborations and workforce.
Prize plans
The LVMH Prize, given to a designer under the age of 41 who has sold at least two ready-to-wear collections, includes a cash grant of 300,000 euro, or about $319,000 at current exchange. In addition to the monetary aid, the winner will receive a 12-month mentorship by an LVMH team on business development subjects such as marketing, intellectual property and production (see story).
The 21 candidates were shortlisted by LVMH’s selection committee, under the supervision of Delphine Arnault, vice president of Louis Vuitton. The list includes 10 menswear designers, nine women’s wear designers and two who design for both men and women.
Now that they’ve been selected, the candidates must meet LVMH’s 45 international fashion experts, who will then narrow it down to eight finalists between March 2-3 in Paris.
International fashion experts include a mix of editors, photographers, models, makeup artists, creative directors, athletes and stylists. Notable names include Suzy Menkes, Pat McGrath, Kendall Jenner, Linda Fargo and Juergen Teller.
A jury will announce the LVMH Prize winner June 16 at a Fondation Louis Vuitton ceremony. The jury consists of J.W. Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquière, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, Phoebe Philo, Riccardo Tisci, Ms. Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie and Pierre-Yves Roussel.
“The increasing numbers of candidates for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers proves once more the enthusiasm generated by the prize, which is strongly committed to its international dimension,” Ms. Arnault said in a statement.
The 21 designers hail from Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. A full list of their names and design speciality can be found here.
“This year, two distinct characteristics stand out among the propositions of the candidates,” Ms. Arnault continued. “Streetwear influences many collections. As for the gender diversity of its creations, it is emblematic of this edition.
“Boldness in innovation is the keyword for these 21 young designers,” she said. “As the leader of the fashion industry, it is the mission of the LVMH group to discover and help young talents to develop their uniqueness.”
The 2016 LVMH Prize was awarded to Grace Wales Bonner. The London-based designer has been hailed as a “heroine of menswear” (see story).