LVMH Prize announces eight finalists

Eight emerging designers have been named finalists for the annual LVMH Prize by French luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

LVMH launched the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers in 2013 to reward and support emerging talent, and this year's award received more than 2,500 applications from 18 countries, including Mexico, Moldova and Togo, for the first time.

The eight finalists hail from the UK, Ireland, the US, France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands and include Welsh-born, London-based Paolo Carzana, known for his romantic and deconstructed approach to tailoring and draping; Irish-born, London-based fashion designer Michael Stewart, who founded eveningwear label Standing Ground in 2022; and American designer Julian Loule based in New York for his menswear label Aubero.

The other finalists include Duran Lantink from the Netherlands, based between Amsterdam and Paris, known for his conscious collections fusing pre-loved pieces, deadstock and sustainable materials; Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson for her Stockholm-based sustainable fashion house Hodakova; and womenswear designer Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, who founded her eponymous fashion brand in 2023.

Paolo Carzana, Michael Stewart and Julian Loule are among the finalists for the 2024 LVMH Prize

Completing the line-up is Italian designer Niccolò Pasqualetti, who draws inspiration from the sartorial codes of Italian heritage, and London-based French designer Pauline Dujancourt, who is looking to redefine womenswear through intricate textile processes, such as crochet and handknitting to embody a contemporary approach to knitwear.

The winner of the LVMH Prize will be announced on September 10 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, where the finalists present their collections to a jury. The overall winner will receive a grand prize of 400,000 euros and tailored mentorship by LVMH teams, while the runner-up Karl Lagerfeld Prize will take home 200,000 euros and a one-year mentorship.

This year also includes a new award, the Savoir-Faire Prize, worth 200,000 euros, which focuses on craftsmanship, technical expertise, innovation and sustainability.

Three graduates and their fashion schools will also win prize money of 10,000 euros each and join the design studio of one of the group's fashion houses for a year.