Launched in 2013, "the LVMH Prize was created to reveal and support young fashion designers", according to the French luxury group's website. But in the end, it's just one young designer who walks away with everything. The winner receives 300,000 euros in cash, as well as some much-needed guidance on how to run a fashion business – from intellectual property issues, and sourcing and marketing, to production methods and distribution of the label once created. More than that, the hype surrounding the event, with celebrities such as Kanye West coming out to personally meet the designers in Paris only days ago, guarantees the winner (and a few runner-up entries too) instant stardom, catapulting their brand to the forefront of today’s top fashion minds.
“I think for the 26 semifinalists to have the opportunity to meet the experts, even if they’re not selected in the eight finalists, it brings to them a lot of awareness of their work,” Delphine Arnault, the executive vice president of Louis Vuitton, and the pioneer of the LVMH Prize, told the New York Times. “They’re able to show their work to a lot of people at the same time that could have a fantastic influence on their career.”
Already, buyers and editors are talking about these youngsters. And LVMH Group, who is not shy when it comes to poaching smaller labels to add to their already heaving luxury conglomerate, has their watchful eye on the fashion hatchlings.
"It is the responsibility of the LVMH Group, as the leader of our industry, to identify and support young designers, and I am delighted that we can do so once again with so many talented candidates," said Arnault.
Last year, Britain’s Thomas Tait (pictured) took out the award for his eccentrically tasteful constructivism and party-block colors, but this year is set to be a tougher contest pool. The difference in design aesthetic, from target market to fabric, is huge. There are more menswear designers this year, more streetwear lines, as well as more labels from Asia in the mix, making it a fashion olympics of sorts, with the exception of Australia. And it's a contest of second chances, with three label finalists from 2014 returned - Craig Green, Marques'Almeida, and Jacquemus.
It’s going to be a nervous few weeks for the contestants before the next round of the cuts – the final – where only 8 designers will be selected to face-off for the grand honor. Then, the jury panel, which boasts the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Riccardo Tisci, Jonathan Anderson and Kenzo creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, will select just one winner come May. And then it is all systems go for the lucky young thing– one stitch, cut and sew at a time.
Here are your LVMH Young Designer Award semi-finalists for 2015.
Agi & Sam, designers Agi Mdumulla and Sam Cotton
Andrea Jiapei Li, designer Jiapei Li
Anton Belinskiy
Arthur Arbesser
Astrid Andersen
Baja East, designers Scott Studenberg and John Targon
Coperni, designers Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant
Craig Green
Devon Halfnight Leflufy
Faustine Steinmetz
Huishan Zhang
Jacquemus, designer Simon Porte Jacquemus
Jourden, designers Anais Mak and Benny Woo
Koche, designer Christelle Kocher
Marques'Almeida, designers Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida
Nabil Nayal, designer Nabiel El-Nayal
Nasir Mazhar
Off-White, designer Virgil Abloh
Orley, designers Alex Orley, Matthew Orley, Samantha Orley
Ryan Lo
Ryan Roche
Sankuanz, designer Shangguan Zhe
Vetements, designer Demna Gvasalia
WrittenAfterwards, designer Yoshikazu Yamagata
Xiao Li
XimonLee, designer Ximon Lee