LVMH prize

Photo: Courtesy LVMH
Each year, the LVMH Prize scours the globe for the next generation of influential fashion designers with the hopes of bolstering their business with a little LVMH shine. This year “over 1,900 candidates from all over the world applied,” reports Delphine Arnault, the executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and director of the Prize. “This success demonstrates the importance of the LVMH Prize internationally: many young designers have realized just how decisive this Prize is for their careers, as it helps to showcase and nurture the talents of tomorrow.”
The 2022 shortlist spans continents and ages, with the 20 semifinalists coming from Ghent, Lagos, Dublin, Tokyo, and beyond. The global nature of fashion resonates with Arnault, who looks to the successes of the 2021 winners—Nensi Dojaka took home the grand prize, KidSuper, Lukhanyo Mdingi, and Rui the Karl Lagerfeld special prize—as a sign for fashion’s next chapter. “The class of 2021 has shown great ability in approaching the new world: they all have e-commerce sites, are present on social media and embrace a way of creating and producing that takes into account the challenges of our industry,” she says. “The class of 2021 was also a beautiful symbol of diversity: Nensi was born and raised in Albania, Lukhanyo is South African, Rui comes from Hunan in China… Young designers don’t necessarily express themselves in one of the world’s fashion capitals such as Paris, London, New York or Milan.”
An in-person showroom will take place in Paris on March 4 and March 5, while the virtual showroom and voting online will continue. “I’m very excited that the experts”—including actress and LV ambassador Léa Seydoux and new expert Cindy Sherman—“who can attend will meet the semi-finalists in person and see their work,” says Arnault, “[and] we all hope that the 2022 Final will be held physically. It is very important for the semi-finalists to meet the Experts and they all confirm how inspiring these encounters are for their work.”
Until then, meet the 2022 LVMH Prize semifinalists below and stay tuned for the final, coming later this spring.
Airei, menswear brand designed by Drew Curry in Los Angeles, California, USA
Amesh, genderless brand designed by Amesh Wijesekera in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Ashlyn, womenswear brand designed by Ashlynn Park in New York, New York, USA
Bluemarble, menswear brand designed by Anthony Alvarez Graff in Paris, France
Chenpeng, genderless brand designed by Peng Chen in Shanghai, China
ERL, menswear, womenswear, and genderless brand desigend by Eli Russell Linnetz in Venice Beach, California, USA
Goomheo, menswear and genderless brand designed by Goom Heo in London, UK
KNWLS, womenswear brand designed by Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault in London, UK
Maximilian, womenswear brand designed by Maximilian Davis in London, UK
Meryll Rogge, womenswear brand designed by Meryll Rogge in Ghent, Belgium
Niccolò Pasqualetti, genderless brand designed by Niccolò Pasqualetti in Tuscany, Italy
Palomo Spain, genderless brand designed by Alejandro Gomez Palomo in Córdoba, Spain
Paula Canovas del Vas, womenswear brand designed by Paula Canovas del Vas in London, UK
Róisín Pierce, womenswear brand designed by Róisín Pierce in Dublin, Ireland
Ryunosukeokazaki, genderless brand designed by Ryunosuke Okazaki in Tokyo, Japan
S.S. Daley, menswear brand designed by Steven Stokey-Daley in London, UK
Tokyo James, menswear brand designed by Iniye Tokyo James in Lagos, Nigeria
Weinsanto, womenswear brand designed by Victor Brunstein Weinsanto in Paris, France
Winnie NY, menswear brand designed by Idris Balogun in New York, New York, USA
Yueqi Qi, genderless brand designed by Yueqi Qi in Shanghai, China
Originally published in Vogue.com

Renaissance Renaissance. Photo: Instagram/@renaissance_renaissance
The semi-finalists for the 2021 LVMH Prize have been announced and among them is Lebanese womenswear brand Renaissance Renaissance. Helmed by Cynthia Mehraj, the Lebanon and France-based label aims to create garments that reflect the many contradictions of being a woman today, and those that will see a woman through different phases of her life. The brand is known for its minimalistic nuances and nods to Algerian, Lebanese, and Ottoman fashion. Mehrej is a Central Saint Martins graduate and followed in the footsteps of her mother and great-grandmother when she opened her own atelier in 2016.
Other semi-finalists for the LVMH Prize include London-based designer Nensi Dojaka, known for her asymmetrical creations, and Christopher Rogers, who won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
Jacket inspired by historical Ottoman garments. Photo: Instagram/@renaissance_renaissance
In 2020, young designers worldwide were forced to adapt to new methods to fuel their artistry and creativity. The pandemic ignited a new wave of innovation, embodied by the 20 semi-finalists for the 2021 LVMH Prize. Their collections will be shown in a virtual showroom from April 6-11, and for the first time, visitors will be able to vote for their favorites.
“This year, over 1,900 people applied: Young designers are showing great maturity in their work,” said Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and founder of the LVMH Prize. “Today, designers are asked to be much more than designers, and the candidates have adapted to this new reality. They are very aware of their image, they build their businesses… and above all, they think about creation and its environmental issues. All the semi-finalists show a sincere and deep commitment, whether it be social, ethical, artisanal, environmental, or local. They are anchored in today’s world.”
Photo: Instagram/@renaissance_renaissance
The 2021 winner will receive a €300,000 prize and a year of mentorship from designers and executives within the LVMH, the winner of the Karl Lagerfeld special price will receive a €150,000 sum and a year of mentorship. The LVMH Prize also welcomes a new ambassador, Naomi Osaka, the 23-year-old tennis champion, as well as Bella Hadid and editor-in-chief of Vogue China Margaret Zhang who will present the grand prize.

The 2021 LVMH Prize semi-finalists are:
AGR, a British womenswear brand based in the United Kingdom, designed by Alicia Robinson, 30
Bianca Saunders, a British menswear brand based in the United Kingdom, designed by Bianca Saunders, 28
Charles de Vilmorin, a French genderless brand based in France, designed by Charles de Vilmorin, 25
Christopher John Rogers, an American womenswear brand based in the United States, designed by Christopher John Rogers, 28
Conner Ives, an American womenswear brand based in the United Kingdom, designed by Conner Ives, 25

Federico Cina, an Italian genderless brand based in Italy, designed by Frederico Cina, 27
KidSuper, an American menswear brand based in the United States, designed by Colm Dillane, 30
Kika Vargas, a Columbian womenswear brand based in Columbia, designed by Kika Vargas, 38
Lagos Space Programme, a Nigerian genderless brand based in Nigeria, designed by Adeju Thompson, 30
Lukhanyo Mdingi, a South African womenswear and menswear brand based in South Africa, designed by Lukhanyo Mdingi, 29
Midorikawa Official, a Japanese genderless brand based in Japan, designed by Tadu Midorikawa, 39
Nensi Dojaka, an Albanian womenswear brand based in the United Kingdom, designed by Nensi Dojaka, 28
Post Archive Faction, a Korean menswear brand based in South Korea, designed by Dongjoon Lim, 29
Renaissance Renaissance, a Lebanese womenswear brand based in Lebanon and France, designed by Cynthia Mehrej, 32
Rier, an Italian genderless brand based in France, designed by Andreas Steiner, 36
Rui, a Chinese genderless brand based in China, designed by Rui Zhou, 27
Saul Nash, a British menswear brand based in the United Kingdom, designed by Saul Nash, 31
Shuting Qiu, a Chinese womenswear brand based in China, designed by Shuting Qiu, 27
Taakk, a Japanese menswear brand based in Japan, designed by Takuya Morikawa, 39
Wed, a British womenswear brand based in the United Kingdom, designed by Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips, both 30
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