Shortlist for LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers revealed

London - The third edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers has named 23 designers from countries including the UK, US, China and Iran in the running for its 2016 prize. This year the award received nearly 1,000 entries from more than 50 countries, and the semi-finalists have been chosen by an in-house selection committee, under the supervision of Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton.

Among the fashion designers selected for the third edition of the LVMH Prize, six are menswear designers, seven design both women’s and men’s wear, and 10 are exclusively womenswear designers. In addition, two shortlisted candidates from the 2015 edition, Koché and Astrid Andersen have been selected again this year.

Recipients span different countries and ethnicities with shortlisted designers coming from the UK, Japan, China, the United States, Canada, Finland, Germany and France, as well as Malaysia and Iran, making this year’s prize the most diverse selection.

“This is what defines the singularity of the LVMH Prize: it is the first fashion prize that is completely international and digital, and which can bring together in Paris individualities of such diverse, original stylistic expressions,” said Delphine Arnault. “Men’s fashions remain well represented and streetwear continues to make a statement without calling into question the high tradition of women’s ready-to-wear. As a leader in the industry, it is the LVMH Group’s responsibility to identify and help young designers grow.”

23 designers shortlisted for LVMH Prize for young fashion designers

Of the 23 shortlisted designers, a number are based in London including menswear designer Alex Mullins, womenswear designer Caitlin Price, menswear label Cottweiler designed by Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty, and women’s and men’s wear label Wales Bonner by Grace Wales Bonner.

Other on-the-rise labels included in the shortlist are New York-based designers Brandon Maxwell and Matthew Williams of Alyx, Y/Project by Glenn Martens, a Belgian designer based in Paris and Chinese designer Fengchen Wang who has shown menswear in London and New York.

Rounding off the semifinalists are: Aalto by Tuomas Merikoski, a Finnish designer based in Paris; Facetasm by Hiromichi Ochiai, a Japanese designer based in Tokyo; Koike by Yuko Koike, a Japanese designer based in Tokyo); Männistö by Julia Männistö, a Finnish designer based in Berlin; Melitta Baumeister, a German designer based in New York; Mikio Sakabe by Mikio Sakabe and Hsueh Jenfang, Japanese designers based in Tokyo; Moto Guo, a Malaysian designer based in Kuala Lumpur; Ms Min by Min Liu, a Chinese designer based in Xiamen; Soshi Otsuki, a Japanese designer based in Tokyo; Vaqar by Shirin and Shiva Vaqar, Iranian designers based in Tehran; Vejas by Vejas Kraszewski, a Canadian designer based in Toronto); Wanda Nylon by Johanna Senyk, a French designer based in Paris; and womenswear label Xu Zhi by Xuzhi Chen, a Chinese designer based in London.

The eight finalists will be selected by LVMH’s panel of experts including Pat McGrath, Juergen Teller, and Patrick Demarchelier, on March 2 and March 3 in Paris. The winner will be selected by a jury of LVMH designers, and Karl Lagerfeld, and will be announced at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris on June 16.

This year’s winner will follow in the footsteps of past winners Thomas Tait and Marques’Almeida, and will receive a financial sum, as well as guidance from LVMH’s roster of designers and executives.

Image: LVMH Prize