From a record-breaking 1,700 applicants, the LVMH Prize jury has finally announced their shortlist. Led by Louis Vuitton’s executive vice president Delphine Arnault, the jury has selected 20 young designers from 15 countries to compete for the $300,000 prize and yearlong mentorship.
The list includes both new and more established designers, with London-based creatives leading the way, with Stefan Cooke, Kiko Kostadinov, and Paria Farzaneh making the cut.
The 20 hopefuls are comprised of eight womenswear designers, four menswear designers and two designers with gender-neutral brands. Some notable designs to watch out for are Lagos-born designer Kenneth Ize as well as with talented American designer Emily Adams Bode, Montreal-based Emeric Tchatchoua and Seoul-based menswear designer duo Kanghyuk Choi and Sanglak Shon.
The designers presented their collections at LVMH’s Avenue Montaigne headquarters on March 1 to an audience of 63 industry heavyweights that included Naomi Campbell, Carine Roitfeld, and Suzy Menkes, who will eventually narrow the group down to eight finalists.
Here’s the complete list of finalists:
3.Paradis of Emeric Tchatchoua (French designer based in Montreal).
Anrealage of Kunihiko Morinaga (Japanese designer based in Tokyo).
Bethany Williams of Bethany Williams (British designer based in London).
Bode of Emily Adams Bode (American designer based in New York).
Boramy Viguier of Boramy Viguier (French designer based in Paris).
Duran Lantink of Duran Lantink (Dutch designer based in Amsterdam).
Eftychia of Eftychia Karamolegkou (Greek designer based in London).
Germanier of Kévin Germanier (Swiss designer based in Paris).
Hed Mayner of Hed Mayner (Israeli designer based in Tel Aviv).
Hu of Caroline Hu (Chinese designer based in New York).
Kanghyuk of Kanghyuk Choi and Sanglak Shon (Korean designers based in Seoul).
Kenneth Ize of Kenneth Izedonmwen (Nigerian designer based in Lagos).
Kiko Kostadinov of Kiko Kostadinov (Bulgarian designer based in London).
Lecavalier of Marie-Ève Lecavalier (Canadian designer based in Montreal).
Phipps of Spencer Phipps (American designer based in Paris).
Paria/Farzaneh of Paria Farzaneh (British designer based in London).
Richard Malone of Richard Malone (Irish designer based in London).
Stefan Cooke of Stefan Cooke and Jake Burt (British designers based in London).
Susan Fang of Susan Fang (Chinese designer based in London).
Thebe Magugu of Thebe Magugu (South African designer based in Johannesburg).
