Yu Prize names semi-finalists for 2022 edition

The design competition Yu Prize by Wendy Yu, founder and chief executive of Yu Holdings, has named 20 emerging Chinese designers as semi-finalists for the 2022 edition.

The annual prize, in association with Shanghai Fashion Week and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, launched last year to support emerging Chinese designers and named <a href=”https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/yu-prize-names-chenpeng-as-the-inaugural-winner/2021040754828” target=”_self”><u>ChenPeng as the inaugural Yu Prize winner</u></a>.

The 2022 edition has named 20 designers as semi-finalists, selected by a panel of judges including Shanghai Fashion Week’s vice secretary general Lu Xiaolei, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode’s executive president Pascal Morand, OTB Group president Renzo Rosso, Vogue Italia’s Sara Sozzani Maino, Harrods managing director Michael Ward and Wendy Yu.

The semifinalists are Ala Tianan by Tianan Ding; Alienant by Yuchen Han; Bad Binch Tongtong by Terrence Zhou; Chan Chit Lo; Cheng Cheng, Didu; Highlight by Chichin Wu and Minho He; Keh Forme by Wei Ge and Aoyu Zhang; Louis Shengtao Chen; Markgong; Marrknull by Mark Wang and Tim Shi; Nosense Official by Shi Chang; Ponder.er by Alex Po and Derek Cheng; Private Policy by Haoran Li and Siying Qu; Ruohan by Ruohan Nie; Victor Li; Victor Wong; WMWM by Mushroom Song; Yirantian by Yirantian Guo, and ZI II CI IEN by Zhi Chen.

The 20 semi-finalists will be shortlisted down by the jury to 10 on March 2, with the award ceremony taking place during the next edition of Shanghai Fashion Week.

Wendy Yu, founder of the Yu Prize, said in a statement: “The level of talent in China is going from strength to strength, and whilst we are excited to scout for the official winners of the Yu Prize, we also want to provide more opportunity to celebrate other participating designers who are on the up and help them gain recognition.

“Our strategy together with our Prize partners further accentuates this; we share a common objective which is to nurture Chinese creatives as a whole community whilst providing game-changing opportunities on an individual basis.”

Yu Prize adds new Rising Voices Award for 2022

The 2022 Yu Prize grand award will present the winner with a cash prize, a showcase at the Sphere showroom at Paris Fashion Week, a show slot during Shanghai Fashion Week, a 12-month mentorship with OTB Group, retail support from Harrods, and promotional support on China’s lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, a new sponsor this edition, who will also provide all semi-finalists with training on how to establish and increase the profile and impact of their personal and fashion brand.

Luxury Chinese makeup brand Yumee is once again sponsoring the Yu Prize Infinite Beauty Award and has set a creative assignment to the semi-finalists to design a digital pattern inspired by Chinese art and beauty that could be applied to Yumee’s product range. The winner will receive a 50,000 Renminbi cash prize, which will be granted on merit to one or multiple designers, and there is also a chance to launch a limited-edition capsule with the luxury brand.

The second edition will also feature a new Rising Voices Award, sponsored by new collaborative partner Ugg, which will ask all semi-finalists to re-imagine the Ugg Classic Ultra Mini and Fluff Oh Yeah shoe styles. The winning design will be put into production and launched to market in time with the Ugg autumn/winter 2023 and spring/summer 2024 collections.

The award will be presented to the designer whose vision “best aligns with motivating and empowering the younger generation, and the calling for self-expression,” added organisers, and will also receive a cash prize of 100,000 renminbi.

Olivier Lorans, vice president and general manager of Deckers, parent company of Ugg, said: “We are proud to partner with the Yu Prize to give platform to China’s emerging designers, and with this, we are proactively encouraging bold self-expression. Ugg has always been an emotive brand and we believe in the power of collaboration to support China’s rising talents and voices to grow bigger and stronger.”

The design competition has also added new jury members for the 2022 edition, including designers Mary Katrantzou and Iris Van Herpen, alongside Jason Wu, Diane von Furstenberg, Yehyehyeh founder Shaway Yeh, Harrods Michael Ward, Ugg vice president of design Helene Frain, Farfetch Greater China president Judy Liu and creative director, consultant and stylist Jenke Ahmed Tailly.