The 2023 LVMH Prize Semifinalists Are Here
The 10th anniversary of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers 2023 edition is around the corner, and out of a record number of 2,400 applicants, the luxury conglomerate has selected 22 semifinalists. The semi-finalists are from all over the globe – Canada, China, South Korea, Estonia, the U.S., France, India, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, the U.K., Ukraine, Taiwan, Sweden, and some new countries for the first time, Brazil and Jamaica. The annual design prize has aided in accelerating the careers of talents like Shayne Oliver, Marine Serre, Nensi Dojaka, Thebe Magugu, Simon Porte Jacquemus, and Grace Wales Bonner. The primary winner will receive a 300,000-euro award and mentorship by the LVMH team’s sustainability, communications, marketing, legal, production, and finance. The winner of the Karl Lagerfeld Prize will receive a 150,000-euro sum and one year of mentorship from LVMH experts. This upcoming Paris Fashion Week, the semifinalists will be headed to a showroom in Paris on March 2 and 3 to present their collections to the press and to the prize’s committee of experts, who will then vote to select eight finalists. The new experts on the committee are casting director Piergiorgio Del Moro, Vogue editors Tiffany Godoy and Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, stylists Harry Lambert and Law Roach, and Lina Kutsovskaya, founder and creative director of Be Good Studios. Delphine Arnault said, “It is a source of great pride for all of us to see that the prize is now an essential vehicle for identifying and highlighting creative talent all over the world.”
Here is a complete list of the designer semifinalists for the LVMH Prize:
Menswear –
Aaron Esh, U.K.; Charlie Constantinou, U.K. (also genderless); Joao Maraschin, Brazil (also womenswear); Karu Research by Kartik Kumra, India; Magliano by Luca Magliano, Italy; Namesake by Michael; Richard and Steve Hsieh, Taiwan (also genderless).
Womenswear –
Anne Isabella, France; Bettter by Julie Pelipas, Ukraine; Diotima by Rachel Scott, Jamaica; Johanna Parv, Estonia; Louis Shengtao Chen, China; Paolina Russo by Paolina Russo, Canada; and Lucile Guilmard, France; Quira by Veronica Leoni, Italy.
Genderless –
Bloke by Faith Oluwajimi, Nigeria; Burc Akyol, France; (also womenswear and menswear) Juntae Kim, South Korea; Kusikohc by Giseok Cho, South Korea; Luar by Raul Lopez, U.S.; (also womenswear and menswear), Marrknull by Wei Wang and Tian Shi, China; Setchu by Satoshi Kuwata, Japan; Stinarand by Stina Randestad, Sweden; and Wataru Tominaga, Japan. [Vogue]
Lancôme Taps Hoyeon Jung and Aya Nakamura As Global Brand Ambassadors
Luxury beauty brand Lancôme has tapped Hoyeon Jung and Aya Nakamura as global brand ambassadors. South Korean model-turned-actress Jung made her international modeling debut in 2016. In 2021, her first acting appearance on the hit Netflix show “Squid Game” led her to win the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series award at the SAG Awards. Jung also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. While Nakamura, also known as the “queen of French pop,” quickly rose in the music industry with her song “Djadja” in 2018. The Mali-born musician launched her career in 2014, at 19, with her first song, “Karma.” According to Lancôme, Nakamura’s songs have been listened to 6 billion times. Nakamura and the beauty brand co-created a video documentary, releasing on YouTube this summer, showing the “queen of French pop” on the road to Accor Arena concerts. The new brand partnerships come after Lancôme selected influencer Emma Chamberlain as their global ambassador, signaling the brand’s commitment to connecting with Gen Z fan bases. Françoise Lehmann, the Lancôme international president, said, “These women have founded their success on a referential that differs from that of the previous generation — and that’s a significant change.” [WWD]
Pharrell Williams Is the New Menswear Creative Director of Louis Vuitton
Music producer, entrepreneur, and style icon Pharrell Williams is the new Menswear Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. This news broke during New York Fashion Week, with the first collection under Williams’ creative direction set to debut in June during men’s Paris Fashion Week. Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO, Pietro Beccari, expressed his excitement in welcoming Pharrell back to the brand after they collaborated in 2004 and 2008. He believes that Williams’ “creative vision beyond fashion will lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and exciting chapter.” Many in the industry were surprised by Williams’ appointment, as emerging designers like Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner, Telfar Clemens, and Colm Dillane (KidSuper), were also being speculated to take on the role. It seems like LVMH and the luxury industry as a whole are increasingly focused on leveraging pop culture and celebrity partnerships to reach new audiences and drive sales. [MDC]
Fashion Heavy Hitters, Celebrities, and Musicians Honor Vivienne Westwood at the Late Designer’s Memorial
The night before London Fashion Week started, industry insiders, celebrities, and musicians, including Anna Wintour, Edward Enninful, Erdem Moralioglu, Victoria Beckham, Stormzy, and Kate Moss, came together for a memorial service for the late Vivienne Westwood at a London cathedral. At most funerals, attendees wear black, but to honor the late designer, many wore tartan, corsets, and draped dresses. Westwood’s husband, Andreas Kronthaler, said in a moving statement, “Vivienne brought us all together here today, and what she wanted more than anything was for each of us to do all we can to make the world a better place.” [Vogue]
The Neiman Marcus Group Awards Are Coming Up
The Neiman Marcus Group awards season starts next month, and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, will be awarded the Neiman Marcus Award for Creative Impact in the Field of Fashion. At the same time, accessories designer Amina Muaddi will receive the Neiman Marcus Award for Innovation in the Field of Fashion. Last November, the Neiman Marcus Group announced their new “NMG Awards” platform, including the Creative Impact and Innovation Awards and the comeback of the renowned Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion after a six-year hiatus. Brunello Cucinelli is set to receive the Distinguished Service Award for his “profound influence on luxury lifestyle fashion and commitment to humanistic capitalism.” The awardees will be honored on March 5th during Paris Fashion Week with an event, and brand partners and past NM award recipients will attend. Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of the Neiman Marcus Group, said, “These awards will be given annually, our customers want to hear the news about storied fashion houses being renewed and new fashion houses breaking through.” [WWD]
Thom Browne Transports to a Cosmic Desert for F/W 23
Thom Browne made a bold return to NYFW with his F/W 23 collection, showcasing a cosmic and imaginative presentation at The Shed in Hudson Yards. The entire collection was heavily inspired by themes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince,” which emphasizes the importance of love and loss, open-mindedness, and exploration, aligning with the CFDA chair’s brand return to New York. Find BTS photos of models at the show here.
For Eckhaus Latta, Edward Lampley’s Hair Vision is New York Cool
Saturday night’s latest rollout for Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta namesake line Eckhaus Latta brought tactile sensuality through a racy, nonconformist lens. Models.com spoke to Edward Lampley about the Eckhaus Latta collaborative process, his inspiration, and how he connects to the next generation of beauty creatives. Find the interview here.
Find All the Street Style Looks From NYFW
Check out the models’ street style looks from days 1-6 of NYFW shot by Melodie Jeng for Models.com here.
Models.com Interviews Naja Kirk
Models.com interviews Danish rookie Naja Kirk about her most memorable shoot, her favorite song, and what change she would like to see in the world. Find the interview here.
And don’t forget some of this week’s Models.com Fashion Week coverage from NYFW:
