LVMH Prize opens applications for 2021 edition

The LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, created by the French luxury conglomerate, has launched its eighth edition, following the cancellation of last year’s final due to Covid-19.

The competition has opened applications for the 2021 edition and is calling on young international designers, under 40 years and have presented and sold at two collections of women’s, men’s or unisex ready-to-wear to apply via its website.

The 2020 competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and instead of one grand winner of the 300,000 euro prize fund, the money was instead “distributed evenly” between the eight finalists - Ahluwalia, Casablanca, Chopova Lowena, Nicholas Daley, Peter Do, Sindiso Khumalo, Tomo Koizymi, and Supriya Lele. Each of the designers also received one-year of mentorship.

Applications are open until February 28 at LVMHprize.com, with the semi-finalists expected to take part in a digital forum, rather than an in-person showroom during Paris Fashion Week. The forum will take place from April 6 to 11, where the international judging panel will be able to discover the competition’s designers.

The winner will take away a prize of 300,000 euros, while the runner-up Karl Lagerfeld Prize will receive 150,000 euros, with both winning a year of mentorship.

In addition, the luxury conglomerate will also reward three fashion school graduates, who either graduated in 2020 or 2021. Applications for this prize closes on May 15. The winners will join one of the group’s houses for one year.

Since its launch, the LVMH Prize has boosted the careers of numerous young designers, who have won the coveted first prize and runner-up prizes, including Thebe Magugu, Masayuki Ino, Grace Wales Bonner, Rokh, Marine Serre, Kozaburo Akasaka, Vejas, Marques’Almeida, Jacquemus, Hood By Air and Miuniku.