LVMH Names 8 Finalists for Young Fashion Designers Prize 2024
Get to know the young designers emerging as visionary leaders in the fashion industry.
LVMH announced the finalists for the 2024 Young Fashion Designers Prize on April 23, 2024. From over 2,500 candidates to 22 semi-finalists, LVMH has further narrowed down the potential recipients to just eight young designers making a name for themselves in the fashion world. Finalists Aubero, Duran Lantink, Hodakova, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, Niccolò Pasqualetti, Paolo Carzana, Pauline Dujancourt, and Standing Ground have been selected as the last eight contenders for the LVMH prize. For the next few months, the eight designers will work on collections representative of their designs, ethos, and skills to present to the jury. While all eight designers are emerging names in the fashion world, Duran Lantink and Niccolò Pasqualetti were selected as LVMH prize semi-finalists in previous years.
Unbeknownst to many, the prize actually consists of three separate awards; the LVMH Prize, the Karl Lagerfeld Prize, and the Savoir-Faire Prize—a new award this year that signifies excellence in craftsmanship, technical innovation, and sustainability.
The LVMH prize awards the winner with a 400,000-euro endowment and a mentorship from the LVMH team—an invaluable experience for any emerging fashion designer. For the Karl Lagerfeld Prize and the Savoir-Faire Prize, winners are awarded a 200,000-euro endowment and a one-year mentorship by the LVMH team.
Previous winners of the LVMH prize include Setchu, S.S. Daley, Nensi Dojaka, KidSuper, Rokh, Marine Serre, Wales Bonner, Jacquemus, and Hood by Air, among others, meaning the winner of this year's award will be in excellent company among visionary alumni of the prestigious prize.
“The semi-final of the 11th LVMH Prize highlighted the diversity and richness of the candidates’ creative approaches. The semi-finalists showed great expertise in terms of craftsmanship and a strong commitment to sustainability," Delphine Arnault, Chairman and CEO of Christian Dior, wrote. "The finalists’ designs range from entirely hand-made collections to eveningwear, and included upcycled designs."
The final recipient will be selected on September 10, 2024, at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, where the eight shortlisted designers will present collections to a jury, which includes high-profile fashion names like Phoebe Philo and Pharrell Williams, both of whom are new to the jury this year, alongside Jonathan Anderson, Delphine Arnault, Nigo, Kim Jones, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and Marc Jacobs, among others. Ahead of the final selection, join L'OFFICIEL in meeting the visionary young designers up for the 2024 LVMH Young Fashion Designers Prize.
Aubero
Aubero is a United States-based label fronted by designer Julian Louie, who specializes in menswear. Louie, born in California, founded Aubero in 2022 and has previous fashion experience working as a designer and consultant at brands like Calvin Klein, Amiri, and Imitation of Christ.
Duran Lantink
No stranger to the LVMH Prize process, Duran Lantink, a 36-year-old Dutch designer based in Amsterdam, was previously selected as a semi-finalist for the award in 2019 and has made it back to the shortlist of finalists this year. Lantink's eponymous brand takes on womenswear, menswear, and genderless designs, and is known for its sustainable practices and upcycling techniques.
Hodakova
Hodakova, a Swedish brand led by designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson, specializes in womenswear characterized by its use of deadstock and upcycled materials. Larsson has been praised in the past for her ingenious use of unexpected materials and understanding of the importance of physicality in fashion.
Marie Adam-Leenaerdt
Marie Adam-Leenaerdt's eponymous brand, which specializes in womenswear, prides itself on exploring the boundaries of versatility, featuring simply constructed pieces that function in any number of looks. The Belgian designer takes the basics and builds upon them in an innovative manner that evidences her technical skill and conscious sense of sustainability.
Standing Ground
Irish designer Michael Stewart founded Standing Ground, a womenswear brand, in 2021 just a few years after graduating from the Royal College of Art. Standing Ground has emerged as a brand to watch out for in the past few years and made its debut at London Fashion Week as part of the Spring/Summer 2023 season.
Pauline Dujancourt
French designer Pauline Dujancourt is revolutionizing the world of womenswear with her brand, which specializes in modern knitwear, and aims to reinvent the craft through a contemporary, sensual approach to the traditional female-led art form.
"The brand represents everyday women, who knit clothing for themselves, their children, and their loved ones," said Dujancourt. "There is something deeply caring in a piece of knitwear. It is almost like a declaration of love. This pure act of caring is what the brand pays tribute to."
Paolo Carzana
Paolo Carzana, the young Welsh designer behind his namesake brand, has emerged as one of the foremost sustainably-minded creatives in the industry. Carzana has made waves in the design community, particularly for his innovative plant-based dye techniques and use of recycled materials.
Niccolò Pasqualetti
Italian garment and jewelry designer Niccolò Pasqualetti is the second among this year's finalists to return to the LVMH prize after a previous entry in the running for the award. Pasqualetti was a semi-finalist for the 2022 prize, and returns this year with a passion for genderless clothing inspired by their Italian heritage and the art of image-making.
