LGN Louis-Gabriel Nouchi takes home grand prize for Andam 2023

LGN Louis-Gabriel Nouchi won the grand prize at the 34th edition of the Andam awards. Duran Lantink and Ester Manas won the special prize. Meanwhile, Avellano received the Pierre Bergé prize and Ruslan Baginskiy, the fashion accessories prize.

On June 29, in the gardens of Paris' Palais Royal, next to the Ministry of Culture, the elite of the fashion ecosystem attended the Andam 2023 awards ceremony. Among the crowd: Gigi Hadid, Yann Rivoallan, Glenn Martens, a new wave of French designers, and more.

On the podium: Nathalie Dufour, founder of the Association Nationale pour le Développement des Arts de la Mode (Andam), Rima Abdul-Malak, minister of culture, Riccardo Bellini, CEO of Chloé and president of the 2023 jury, Guillaume de Seynes, CEO of Hermès, Frédéric Maus, managing director of WSN, etc.

When the winners were announced, the atmosphere was such that, even in the front row, you can hardly hear them. Fortunately, there were no long speeches at this ceremony. It was simple, short and effective.

Two winners for Andam's special prize

The grand prize went to LGN Louis-Gabriel Nouchi, who was competing alongside Andreadamo, Duran Lantink, Ester Manas, Gauchere and Gmbh. He will receive 300,000 euros to develop his brand, which is centred around an evolving masculine aesthetic, from 'American Beauty' to 'Single Man'.

"For the Jury's Special Prize (100,000 euros), the members of the jury were tormented," explained Riccardo Bellini, CEO of Chloé. "In terms of points, Duran Lantink was the winner. But Esther Manas was just behind every time. So we decided to offer a second prize of 100,000 euros, financed by the sponsors, to this designer."

The Andam Pierre Bergé prize (100,000 euros) went to Arthur Avellano, who made a name for himself with a latex wardrobe, competing against Ouest Paris and Vaillant.

The fashion accessories prize (100,000 euros) went to Ruslan Baginskiy, who beat off competition from Alighieri and Panconesi.

In addition to the financial prizes for the young brands, the awards include a crystal trophy signed Swarovski by Botter (winner 2022), and a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary support programme.

The evening ended with a buffet where everyone had a go at networking, until, thanks to champagne, everyone let loose a little around the piano and sang along to Bohemian Rhapsody. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.FR. Translation and edit by: Rachel Douglass.