Andam 35th anniversary: Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vaccarello joins as president

Now coming into its 35th year, the Andam Fashion Awards is preparing for its next edition, continuing in its mission to identify both French and international fashion talent that will “actively contribute to the vitality and attractiveness of the French fashion industry”.

Commenting on the milestone year in a release, Nathalie Dufour, Andam’s founder and director, said: “I founded the Andam Fashion Awards in 1989 to reveal and support the emerging talents in contemporary fashion.

“Today, Andam’s mission has extended to all sectors of our cultural industry and the dialogue that we create between the young designers and innovative start-ups that we reward and our sponsors is essential to think together and effectively initiate the necessary transformation of our industry. I am very proud of this unique virtuous ecosystem that we have gathered over 35 years.”

For this edition, the organisation announced that Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello was to come on as the awards’ president of the jury and mentor of the Grand Prize.

Alongside direction from Vaccarello himself, held through Andam’s global mentorship programme, the winner of the core award will receive 300,000 euros, with a Special Prize of 100,000 euros to go to one of the Grand Prize finalists.

A sum of 100,000 euros will also be granted to winners of other categories, including the Pierre Bergé Prize, mentored by Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger, and the Accessories Prize, with guidance from Eva Chen, VP fashion partnerships, Instagram.

The same can also be said for the Andam Fashion Innovation Prize, which will support either a French or international start-up, willing to develop their project in France, on their mission to offer innovative solutions that “contribute to the ecological shift of the industry” in varying fields.

Founder and president of Creative Valley, Yann Gozlan, will offer a fellowship of one-year to the winner to help them develop their structure and get access to consulting.