Vogue Fashion Fund Spain reveals 2022 finalists

The three finalists for the 2022 edition of the Vogue Fashion Fund Spain, one of the country’s most important fashion awards, have been chosen. The finalists are fashion creatives Alled-Martínez, Ernesto Naranjo and Paula Cánovas del Vas, three designers who graduated from Central Saint Martins.

Alled-Martínez, Ernesto Naranjo and Paula Cánovas del Vas will now compete against each other to become the winners of the prestigious award, chosen from a shortlist of the first 10 finalists for this year's edition, which included well-known Spanish fashion designers Quique Vidal, creative director of Becomely, JC Pajares, Pablo Erroz, Paloma Wool, Sonia Carrasco, Ynés Suelves and Yvanandreu.

A prize aimed at promoting design talent from the Spanish fashion scene, this is the tenth edition of the award, but the first to take place under the title of "Vogue Fashion Fund". The name with which Vogue magazine tries to harmonise the same prize that is awarded in different countries. The winner of this year's edition in Spain will receive a sum of money as part of the prize, and join a list that already includes designers Marcela Mansergas, Juan Vidal, Maria Ke Fisherman, ManéMané, Moisés Nieto, Leandro Cano, Palomo Spain, Carlota Barrera, Mans and Dominnico, who won the 2021 edition.

This jury of the 2022 edition is made up of prominent professionals linked to the world of fashion in Spain and to the world of Vogue, including Inés Lorenzo, Head of Content at Vogue Spain; Joana Bonet, fashion journalist and editorial consultant; Pepa Bueno, Executive Director of the Spanish Association of Fashion Designers ACME; model and businesswoman Marta Ortiz; and Sara Hernando, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Spain.

The other members of the jury are Sara Hernando, Fashion Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Spain; Mercedes Domecq, head of communications at fast fashion giant Inditex, one of the organisers of the award; the stylist Carla Paucar; and Domingo Rodríguez, who previously won the award and is creative director of the label Dominnico.

According to Vogue España, the above-mentioned jurors will be joined by new professionals during the next phases of the competition, as the final selection of the winner of the Vogue Fashion Fund 2022 award approaches.

100,000 euros in prize money

During the next phases of the competition, the three finalists of this edition, will be expected to continue to shape their respective presentations and projects, and get the attention and interest of the jury ahead of the final gala that will take place on Thursday 27 October. According to Vogue, the name of this year's winner is expected to be announced on the day of the gala.

In addition to adding his or her name to the increasingly exclusive list of previous winners, this year's winner of the Vogue Fashion Fund will be able to benefit from the other rewards that come with this mention, including a cash prize of 100,000 euros in collaboration with Inditex, which they can use to give a decisive boost to their emerging fashion house. They will also be eligible to win an automatic membership of the the Spanish Association of Fashion Designers ACME, without the need for a prior vote by its assembly; the possibility of participating in the next edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid; and, last but not least, the advantage of receiving the support and editorial coverage of Vogue Spain.

Three creatives with three different approaches to fashion

In order to capture the jury's attention, each of the three finalists will not hesitate to make the most of their respective experience in the world of fashion, which each one of them is entering with their own particular way of understanding creativity through clothing.

The first finalist, Alled-Martínez, is a Barcelona-born designer best known for his somewhat questionable role in the Netlix reality show "First Class". He specialises in the production of knitwear, has already dressed international celebrities such as Harry Styles and has created a capsule collection with Karl Lagerfeld. Furthermore, as part of his career, he has won a prize in the "Graduate" category of the 2018 edition of the LVMH awards. He subsequently founded his own fashion house, a brand that he has tried to further develop in the field of fashion. A brand that "we started as knitwear manufacturers selling exclusively to distributors", the designer explains in a statement sent to FashionUnited by Vogue Spain, but "after the pandemic we realised that it was necessary to open a direct online point of sale and expand into other areas apart from knitwear".

Sevillian creative Ernesto Naranjo describes his fashion house as a firm linked to the concept of "contemporary high fashion"; a principle he defends based on fluid, deconstructed pieces and a vibrant chromatic palette. "We are committed to a canon of real, modern women and we adapt to all types of bodies and ages," the designer explains. When it comes to our company, "we are based on a business model that revives artisan traditions, that values the richness of handmade products and revives pieces from previous collections", as a sign of a defence of "sustainability" that we also practice "through our 'made to order online' system" and by making a point of being against "overproduction".

Lastly, designer Paula Cánovas del Vas, the third finalist, who was born in Murcia and is based in London, was previously one of the semi-finalists for the prestigious LVMH Prize in 2022 - a competition from which she ended up withdrawing along with designer Palomo Spain at the end of March. She defines her label as a brand based on creativity and sustainable production.

Cánovas del Vas explains how winning the Vogue Fashion Fund Award would benefit her business. "We currently need to invest in scaling up our production capacity", given that, according to the designer's management, "we want everything to continue to be produced in Spain and Europe and to expand into the Asian and European markets".

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.ES and has been translated and edited into English by Veerle Versteeg.