The Prize’s Annual Cocktail Reception Celebrates the Work of the Final 20 Designers
The 20 semi-finalists for the 2025 edition of the LMVH Prize were celebrated with a notably attended cocktail event in tandem with Paris Fashion week.
Delphine Arnault highlighted the significant achievement of the 20 designers selected out of over 2,000 applicants for this year’s edition. “Don’t forget,” she remarked, “that the 20 designers here today have been selected from the more than 2,000 applicants who approached us this year. So theirs is already an amazing achievement, one that brings wonderful opportunities.” These semi-finalists represent the top 1% of applicants, showcasing their collections to a panel of industry experts tasked with narrowing the field to eight finalists for the final round, traditionally held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
This prestigious competition, established by Arnault in 2014, offers a grand prize of 400,000 euros, along with a year of mentorship. Additional awards include the Karl Lagerfeld Prize and the Savoir-Faire Prize, each providing 200,000 euros and further mentorship opportunities. Among the diverse talents, this year’s showroom marked a notable presence of designers from Egypt, Ghana, and Saudi Arabia, indicating a shift toward more culturally diverse menswear influences.
The event serves as a critical platform for emerging designers to network with influential figures across the fashion industry, including editors-in-chief, journalists, buyers, and photographers. “I’m really impressed by them,” Arnault stated, emphasizing the importance of these connections for the designers’ future careers.
The LVMH Prize has consistently mirrored evolving fashion trends, such as genderless fashion and sustainability. This year, it also celebrated the infusion of Middle Eastern talent, with designers like the Egyptian-born, Qatar-based Yasmin Mansour, and Saudi Arabia’s KML, founded by Ahmed Hassan, who seeks to culturally redefine menswear. “We live in a very interesting time in Saudi where in the past 30 years we’ve been buying a lot, and I think now it’s the time where we do fashion that is more culturally relevant to us,” Hassan explained.
Emerging from Ghana, David Boye-Doe’s brand Boyedoe blends ‘Afroluxurious’ heritage with ethical elegance, showcasing pieces made from fugu, a traditional handwoven fabric. This year’s edition also features American designer Josh Tafoya, who explores his family’s weaving traditions from New Mexico, incorporating elements like Mexican serape stripes into his genderless designs.
Arnault praises the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of these designers, acknowledging the challenges of independent fashion ventures. “It takes a lot of courage, a lot of passion, and they put themselves on the line,” she said. As these designers continue to push the boundaries of fashion and culture, they not only represent the future of the industry but also bring unique, diverse perspectives to the global fashion landscape.
