On Thursday 2nd June, the 8 Finalists of the 2022 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers took part in the final stage of the judging process at the Louis Vuitton Foundation.
From left to right: Jean-Paul Claverie, Nicolas Ghesquière, Jonathan Anderson, Stella McCartney, Cate Blanchett, Delphine Arnault, Steven Stokey Daley (S.S.Daley), Eileen Gu, Sidney Toledano, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Eli Russell Linnetz (ERL), Nigo, Kim Jones and dris Balogun (Winnie New York)
Steven Stokey Daley, the British designer and founder of the label S.S.Daley, was selected as the winner of the LVMH Prize – a €300,000 endowment and a year long mentoring program led by the Maison’s team of experts – with the trophy presented to him at the ceremony by actress Cate Blanchett. Since honing his skills in the menswear teams of Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford, Daley has crafted his own unique brand identity, working in an eco-conscious manner, using donated fabrics for his collections and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Images from the S.S. Daley AW21 Collection The Robe Room Is Becoming The Garden features themes of class, aristocracy and public-school tradition. The campaign was shot by William Waterworth and styled by Harry Lambert – who notoriously dressed Harry Styles in S.S. Daley in the music video for his song Golden.
Since honing his skills in the menswear teams of Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford, Daley has crafted his own unique brand identity, working in an eco-conscious manner, using donated fabrics for his collections and one-of-a-kind pieces.
The Karl Lagerfeld Prize was jointly awarded to 2 American designers, Eli Russell Linnetz, founder of the LA-based genderless label ERL and Idris Balogun, founder of the NYC-based menswear label Winnie New York. Each will receive €150,000 and 1 year of mentoring with the LVMH Group. Their trophies were presented to them by the Olympic ski champion, Eileen Gu.
Eli Russell Linnetz (ERL) and Idris Balogun (Winnie New York) joint winners of the Karl Lagerfeld Prize 2022 with Olympic ski champion Eileen Gu
As is custom, the jury was made up of 7 artistic directors from LVMH’s Maisons: Jonathan Anderson (Loewe), Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior), Nicolas Ghesquière (Louis Vuitton), Kim Jones (Dior and Fendi), Stella McCartney, Nigo (Kenzo) and Silvia Venturini Fendi (Fendi), together with Delphine Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie, and Sidney Toledano.
In addition to the main prizes, 3 fashion graduates were selected to receive €10,000 and to join the studios of 3 LVMH Maisons. Filippo Bendanti (Università Iuav di Venezia, Venice) will be placed at Dior Femme, Miriam Griffiths (Central Saint Martins, London) at Louis Vuitton Femme and Valeria Pasco (Les Ateliers Alix, Paris) at Dior Homme.
Now in its 9th year, the LVMH Prize has established itself as a veritable launch pad for the careers of exceptionally talented designers from all over the world. This year alone it attracted over 1,900 applicants, who were narrowed down to 19 Semi Finalists who presented their collections at the LVMH showroom during Paris Fashion Week, as well as on the digital platform lvmhprize.com. For the second year running the public were invited to join the LVMH Prize Experts in selecting 8 designers to compete in the final.
Since its inception 25 years ago, the LVMH Group’s quest for creativity and innovation, together with its understanding and appreciation of craftsmanship and heritage, has fueled its ongoing commitment to contribute to the future of fashion. As Bernard Arnault explains, “Innovation is more powerful when it springs from a preserved heritage.”
This commitment is further evidenced by the tailored mentoring program, which integrates environmental practices into the design and production process, offered to the Prize winners. LVMH also provides winners access to its Nona Source platform – promoting a less wasteful fashion model by enabling designers to purchase high-end deadstock fabrics and leathers from the Group’s Fashion and Leather Goods brands’ at affordable prices.
From left: S.S. DALEY by Steven Stokey Daley, WINNIE NEW YORK by Idris Balogun, ERL by Eli Russell Linnetz, KNWLS by Charlotte Knowles, TOKYO JAMES by Iniye Tokyo James, ROISIN PIERCE by Róisín Pierce, ASHLYN by Ashlynn Park and RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI by Ryunosuke Okazaki.
Carmen has been part of the LVMH Prize’s illustrious panel of Experts, responsible for selecting the Finalists, since 2018. It is a great pleasure for her to be able to support emerging designers who are intent on shaping the industry into one that shows more consideration for the environment and its workers, particularly when it comes to protecting artisanal heritage and rights.
It is with great pride she extends her heartfelt congratulations to the winners and all of the talented Finalists, who have each shown tremendous promise. The future of fashion is brighter than ever.
