The LVMH Prize Awards Top Prize Plus 3 ‘Karl Lagerfeld’ Prizes
The final of the 8th edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers took place on 7th September 2021 at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, in the presence of six artistic directors from the LVMH Group, Virgil Abloh, Jonathan Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones and Stella McCartney, alongside Delphine Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie and Sidney Toledano.
Among the nine finalists, the Jury awarded the LVMH Prize to Nensi Dojaka, 27, an Albanian womenswear designer based in London. She will receive a 300,000-euro endowment and will be mentored for one year by a team of LVMH experts.
Given the incredible talent of the finalists, the Jury decided to award the Karl Lagerfeld Prize to three designers: Colm Dillane, 29, the American founder of the KidSuper label based in Brooklyn (womenswear and menswear), Lukhanyo Mdingi, 29, a South African designer based in Cape Town (womenswear and menswear), and Rui Zhou, 26, the Shanghai-based Chinese designer behind the brand Rui (genderless fashion). They each receive 150,000 euro and will enjoy a one-year mentorship.
The two awards were presented by the French actress Isabelle Huppert at the Louis Vuitton Foundation.
Delphine Arnault states: “I am very happy that the 2021 LVMH Prize has been awarded to Nensi Dojaka. Her sensual and tailored fashion breaks with the conventions of womenswear, combining confidence and style. Given the incredible talent of the finalists, the Jury decided to award the Karl Lagerfeld Prize to three designers: Colm Dillane for KidSuper, Lukhanyo Mdingi and Rui Zhou for Rui. All three have sharp and unique visions of today’s fashion.
The 8th edition is evidence of the international scope and appeal of the LVMH Prize: hailing from over one-hundred countries, nearly 2,000 candidates applied this year. I am especially grateful to the nine finalists for their valuable presence despite the exceptional circumstances. I applaud their outstanding talent and creativity. I am delighted that the LVMH Prize has placed the spotlight on their work and will help them develop their brand.”
Moreover, three young fashion school graduates were distinguished: Adam Kost, a graduate of Institut Français de la Mode (Paris), Franziska Simon, a graduate of Academy of Fashion and Design (Düsseldorf) and Eric Starc, a graduate of Università Iuav di Venezia (Venice). Each will receive 10,000 euros and join the studios of three Houses of the LVMH Group for one year, respectively Louis Vuitton menswear, Dior menswear and Dior womenswear.
The 9th edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers will take place in 2022.
Lukhanyo Mdingi by Lukhanyo Mdingi 
Rui by Rui Zhou 
KidSuper by Colm Dillane