LVMH Prize draws record applicants

Luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has seen more than 1,700 applicants for this year’s Prize for Young Designers.

Designers from 100 countries vied for a chance at a 300,000 euro grant and mentorship, and the 20 semi-finalists picked from the applicant pool represent 15 nations. LVMH is giving these contestants a global stage through an influencer partnership and retail placement.

Global talent
Reflecting the growing gender-neutral dressing sense, five of the finalists design agender clothing. Meanwhile, eight are women’s wear labels and seven are menswear brands.

Many of the labels are centered on sustainability, while others embrace innovation through new textiles or techniques.

 

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★ THE 2019 LOOKS ★ Say hello to the 20 young and talented designers on the #lvmhprize2019 shortlist! __ Emeric Tchatchoua @3paradis Kunihiko Morinaga @anrealage_official Bethany Williams @bethany_williams_london Emily Adams Bode @bode Boramy Viguier @boramyviguier Duran Lantink @duranlantinkyo Eftychia Karamolegkou @eftychia.efka.ef Kévin Germanier @kevingermanier Hed Mayner @hedmayner Caroline Hu @carolineqiqi Kanghyuk Choi & Sanglak Shon @_kanghyuk Kenneth Izedonmwen @kennethize Kiko Kostadinov @kikokostadinov Marie-Ève Lecavalier @lecavalier.studio Paria Farzaneh @pariafarzaneh Spencer Phipps @phipps.international Richard Malone @richardmalone Stefan Cooke & Jake Burt @stefan_cooke Susan Fang @susanfangofficial Thebe Magugu @thebemagugu

A post shared by LVMHPrize (@lvmhprize) on Feb 25, 2019 at 8:12am PST

Instagram post from LVMH

On March 1 and 2, the 20 chosen semi-finalists will present their collections to 63 experts. From there, eight will be chosen as finalists.

Now in its sixth year, the Prize is working with LVMH-owned ecommerce platform 24 Sèvres to showcase looks from the eight finalists. The winning label will also have their collection sold on 24 Sèvres this September.

As the semi-finalists were announced, 24 Sèvres launched a page for the contest with profiles of the 20 contenders.

LVMH has also tapped influencer Chiara Ferragni as ambassador for the semi-finalist stage of the Prize.

Last year, LVMH announced the winners of its annual LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers with an event attended by some notable influencers.

The prize was awarded to Masayuki Ino for Doublet by special guests Emma Stone and Jaden Smith. LVMH’s annual prize is an opportunity for the conglomerate to honor up-and-coming designers as well as cultivate the next generation of fashion luminaries (see story).