Pigalle Paris wins Andam prize

A jury including Haider Ackermann, Renzo Rosso, Caroline de Maigret, and Pierre-Yves Roussel named French men’s streetwear label Pigalle Paris, known for its colourful, eye-catching designs worn by the likes of Rihanna and A$ap Rocky, as the 2015 Andam Grand Prix award winner.

Pigalle Paris, helmed by French designer Stéphane Ashpool, wins 250,000 euros, as well as two seasons of mentorship from Chanel’s Bruno Pavlovsky, 10,000 euros worth of Swarovski crystals, a collaboration with online retailer thecorner.com, and brand-building guidance from Mac cosmetics.

Ashpool, who is a self-taught designer, launched his menswear label in 2008 with a store in Paris’ Pigalle neighbourhood and wowed the jury with a high-energy presentation featuring basketball players from a team he coaches.

“It is incredible, I am so glad. Seeing life in colours, diversity, peace, love,” Ashpool said of his win to Vogue. “Making fashion to create wellbeing is what I feel, and I thank the jury for celebrating all this.”

When asked what he plans to do with the prize money, Ashpool told Style.com: “I’m going to invest in a proper in-house atelier from which to design, create, communicate, and sell. What you’d call in the past a maison couture, but with a new flavour.”

Pigalle Paris beat off tough competition from Japanese brand Anrealage, Turkish designer Umit Benam, tailoring specialist Pallas Paris, and Demna Gvasalia from the Paris-based collective Vêtements to win the coveted accolade.

Andam names fashion prize winners

Andam also announced Léa Peckre, who has worked at Isabel Marant and Rick Owens as the winner of its First Collection prize of 90,000 euros. Peckre beat off competition from Étienne Deroeux, Gauchère and Journé to win the cash prize. She will also receive commercial and strategic mentorship from the Tomorrow showroom, as well as an exclusive space in Galeries Lafayette’s flagship in Paris to present two collections.

While the inaugural Accessories Prize of 30,000 euros was scooped by Charlotte Chesnais, a jewellery designer and Nicolas Ghesquière protégé. Chesnais will also receive mentoring from Nadja Swarovski, a member of Swarovski’s executive board.

The Andam Fashion Award was founded in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour, and has become renowned for acting as an international springboard for an array of designers, including British designer Gareth Pugh, Margiela, Viktor & Rolf, Christophe Lemaire, Jeremy Scott, and, most recently, Iris Van Herpen, who won the Grand Prix accolade last year.

Images: Pigalle Paris and Stéphane Ashpool