The Belgian designer receives €400,000 and a year of LVMH mentorship, while Lii and Yoshita 1967 take the competition’s additional honors
Belgian designer Julie Kegels has won the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, taking home the competition’s top honor at a ceremony held Friday at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. The Impression previously spoke with Kegels about her emerging practice and the development of her namesake label, offering a closer look at the designer behind this year’s winning collection. Dior ambassador Jennifer Lawrence presented Kegels with the award, which includes €400,000 and a year of mentorship from experts across LVMH.
Kegels emerged from a field of nine finalists representing a broad international cross-section of emerging fashion talent. In addition to its cash prize, the LVMH Prize provides the winner with guidance across the operational and creative aspects of developing an independent fashion business, drawing on expertise from within the luxury group.
Chinese designer Zane Li, founder of Lii, received the Karl Lagerfeld Special Jury Prize, presented by Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The award comes with €200,000 and a year-long mentorship covering areas including sustainable development, communications, intellectual property, manufacturing, marketing, and financial management.
The Savoir-Faire Prize went to Anil Padia for Yoshita 1967. Presented by Louis Vuitton ambassador Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund, the honor similarly carries a €200,000 grant and one year of mentorship. Sperbund also joined the 2026 jury alongside designers from across the LVMH group.
The remaining finalists were Petra Fagerström of Sweden; Gabriel Figueiredo of French label De Pino; British designer Harry Pontefract of Ponte; Spain’s Daniel del Valle of The Vxlley; Georgian designer Galib Gassanoff of Institution; and American designer Colleen Allen.
The results add Kegels, Li, and Padia to the growing roster of designers recognized through one of fashion’s most closely watched emerging-talent competitions, with the combination of financial support and business mentorship intended to help translate early industry attention into sustainable independent brands.