Fashion’s most promising young creatives don’t seem to be in a mood for quiet luxury, or casual clothes.
“We are seeing several compelling trends among emerging designers from all over the world, from a renewed interest in tailoring, to handcrafted embellishments and bold occasion dressing,” Delphine Arnault observed in announcing the 20 semi-finalists for this year’s edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers.
They originally hail from 15 countries, including Egypt, Ghana and Saudi Arabia for the first time since the prize was founded in 2013.
The shortlisted designers are to present their collections at a showroom on March 5 and 6 during Paris Fashion Week, and a committee of experts will whittle the group down to eight finalists.
Arnault, the force behind the prize and a key talent scout at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, noted that two of the semi-finalists have competed for the prize in the past: Renaissance Renaissance by Lebanon-based womenswear designer Cynthia Merhej in 2021, and Soshiotsuki by menswear designer Soshi Otsuki of Japan in 2016.
The other 18 semi-finalists are Alainpaul by Alain Paul, France; All-in by Benjamin Barron, United States, and Bror August Vestbø, Norway; Boyedoe by David Boye-Doe Kusi, Ghana; Francesco Murano of Italy; Josh Tafoya, United States; KML by Ahmed Hassan, Saudi Arabia; Meruert Tolegen by Meruert Planul-Tolegen, United States; MFPEN by Sigurd Bank, Denmark; Nicklas Skovgaard, Denmark; Penultimate by Xiang Gao, China; Pillings by Ryota Murakami, Japan; Sinéad O’Dwyer, Ireland; Steve O Smith, United Kingdom; Tolu Coker, United Kingdom; Torisheju by Torishéju Dumi, United Kingdom; Yasmin Mansour, Egypt; Young N Sang by Sang Lim Lee et Youngshin Hong, South Korea; and Zomer by Danial Aitouganov, The Netherlands.
The 20 semi-finalists for the 2025 LVMH Prize for Young Designers.
Courtesy of LVMH Prize
The 20 labels are competing for a grand prize of 400,000 euros and mentorship by LVMH teams in such areas as sustainable development, communication, copyright and corporate legal aspects, marketing, manufacturing and the financial management of a brand.
The winner of the runner-up Karl Lagerfeld Prize walks away with a 200,000-euro endowment and also enjoys a one-year mentorship.
Finally, the Savoir-Faire Prize comes with a grant of 200,000 euros and a one-year mentorship.
The victors are to be named at a ceremony later this year.
“This year again, many of the brands place high value on experimentation and aesthetics, just like our Savoir-Faire Prize which is entering its second edition,” said Arnault, who is also chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture. “This award highlights the importance of craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability, echoing three key issues for today’s fashion and luxury industries.
“I would like to congratulate all the semi-finalists and look forward to meeting them at our showroom in Paris,” she added.
This is the 12th edition of the prize, which this year attracted more than 2,300 applicants from all over the world.
Once again, the general public will be invited to discover the designers and vote for their favorite collection online from March 5-9 at lvmhprize.com.
The LVMH Prize will also distinguish three fashion school graduates, who can apply online until March 30. Each winner, as well as their school, will receive 10,000 euros and join the design studio of one of the group’s houses for one year.
LVMH’s stable of fashion brands includes Dior, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Fendi, Loewe, Loro Piana, Kenzo, Berluti, Emilio Pucci and Marc Jacobs.
The LVMH Prize is open to fashion designers from all over the world aged between 18 and 40 who have created at least two womenswear, menswear or genderless ready-to-wear collections.
The annual contest has helped propel the careers of such talents as Marine Serre, Nensi Dojaka, Thebe Magugu, Simon Porte Jacquemus and Grace Wales Bonner.
Last year’s winner was Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson, whose upcyled creations underlined the importance of sustainability as the fashion industry grapples with overproduction and a slowdown in luxury spending.
