British designer S.S. Daley wins top LVMH Prize

LVMH unveiled the recipients of its much-coveted prize, which took place on June 2nd and was presented by Australian actress Cate Blanchett. British designer Steven Stokey Daley took home the top prize for his fledgling men’s and women’s wear brand S.S. Daley.

A 300,000 euro prize and mentorship

In the jury sat a roster of artistic directors from LVMH’s leading fashion houses, including Jonathan Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquière, Kim Jones, Stella McCartney, Nigo et Silvia Venturini Fendi. Also on the jury were Delphine Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie and Sidney Toledano, Chairman and CEO of LVMH's Fashion Group. Daley will take home a 300,000 euro cash prize as well as a one-year mentorship from LVMH’s talent team of managers.

Now in its ninth edition, the jury also awarded the Karl Lagerfeld Prize to Eli Russell Linnetz, 31, an American designer based in Venice Beach, founder of the womenswear, menswear and genderless brand ERL, and to Idris Balogun, 29, an American designer based in New York, founder of the menswear brand Winnie New York. Each will receive 150,000 euros and will enjoy a one-year mentorship by the LVMH Group.

Delphine Arnault, Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton, said in a statement: “I am very happy that Steven Stokey Daley, has won the LVMH 2022 Prize for his brand S.S. Daley. He appropriates the codes of tailoring by playing with the clichés of upper-class English culture. This year, the jury has decided to award the Karl Lagerfeld Prize to the designer Eli Russell Linnetz for his brand ERL who draws from the culture of Venice Beach and his native California, to create joyful, cool and sensual clothes, and to Idris Balogun for Winnie New York, who revamps the codes of a colourful elegance, inspired by the staples of menswear."

LVMH proved it aims to nurture talent from a young age, awarding three young fashion school graduates with a 10,000 euro prize who each join one its ready-to-wear studios, including Dior women’s, Louis Vuitton women’s and Dior men’s.

Sustainable initiatives were also rewarded in conjunction with luxury fabric re-sale platform Nona Source. In order to support the winners to integrate sustainability into their design processes, each will receive further mentoring and am allowance of 20,000 and 10,0000 euros respectively.

The tenth edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers will be held in 2023.