Meet the Eight Finalists of the 2022 LVMH Prize
PARIS — The LVMH Prize for Young Designers on Thursday unveiled the eight finalists for this year’s award, lauding the designers for their inventiveness, celebration of craftsmanship and commitment to eco responsibility.
While a diverse bunch in terms of nationality, most of finalists are based in Europe and the U.S., with three working out of North America, two out of the U.K., one in Ireland, one in Japan and one in Nigeria.
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The collections are split roughly equally between menswear, womenswear and genderless, while the aesthetics range from the familiar to the otherworldly.
The U.S.-based contingent consists of Ashlyn by Ashlynn Park; ERL by Eli Russell Linnetz and Winnie New York by Idris Balogun. They are joined by London-based labels Knwls, cofounded by British designer Charlotte Knowles and Canadian designer Alexandre Arsenault, and S.S. Daley by Steven Stokey-Daley.
Rounding out the group are Dublin-based designer Róisín Pierce; Japanese brand Ryunosukeokazaki by Ryunosuke Okazaki, and Tokyo James by Iniye Tokyo James, which is established in Lagos.
The eight finalists are vying for a grand prize of 300,000 euros, plus a year of coaching from experts at LVMH Mo?t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, parent of brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Loewe and Kenzo.
The Karl Lagerfeld Prize comes with 150,000 euros and a year of mentoring, while three students graduating in 2022 are to be awarded 10,000 euros each and a one-year placement in the design studio of an LVMH brand.
“The semifinals highlighted the mature artistic approach of the candidates. These designers consider their brand from a global perspective: sourcing, production, marketing, image,” said Delphine Arnault, the force behind the initiative and a key talent scout at family-controlled luxury conglomerate LVMH.
“I was impressed, naturally, by their creative skill, but also by their awareness of the challenges of our industry and our world. Furthermore, I was delighted to meet them in person, as the showroom had been canceled last year because of the pandemic,” she added.
“I especially enjoyed interacting with each one and I was won over by their inventiveness, their way of celebrating know-how and crafts, as well as their approach to environmental issues,” Arnault remarked.
For the second year running, members of the public were able to choose their favorite designer from among the 19 semifinalists via the prize’s digital platform, with more than 62,000 people casting their vote. Interest was stoked by the presence of “Squid Games” star HoYeon Jung.
“HoYeon, as a supermodel and an actress, is very familiar with the creative process. She is beautiful, talented and determined, and she approaches her career very smartly. She was the obvious choice as ambassador of this semifinal, placing the spotlight on the talented candidates,” Arnault said.
The LVMH Prize is open to designers under age 40 who have presented and sold at least two collections of women’s, men’s or genderless ready-to-wear.
It has previously been awarded to Nensi Dojaka, who won the 2021 edition; Thebe Magugu; Doublet; Marine Serre; Grace Wales Bonner; Marques’ Almeida, and Thomas Tait. It has also boosted the careers of its runner-up special-prize winners, which include Rokh, Jacquemus and Hood by Air.
A jury made up of LVMH’s famous creative directors will ultimately select the victors ahead of a prize ceremony later this year.
Courtesy
Ashlyn
South Korean-born womenswear designer Ashlynn Park cut her teeth working as a patternmaker and designer for the likes of Yohji Yamamoto, Alexander Wang and Raf Simons at Calvin Klein, before launching her own womenswear label Ashlyn in 2019 as a selection of made-to-order pieces.
A graduate of Tokyo’s Bunka Fashion College, she melds the conceptual skills she learned in Japan with the pragmatic approach more typical of U.S designers. From button-down shirts to red-carpet gowns, her intricately draped, tailored and sculptural styles are designed with an eye to zero waste.
Since officially presenting her first collection in 2021, she has refined brand signatures such as cutouts, curving seams, back details and detachable bustles — which she calls “bum rolls” — made of scrap fabric.
Courtesy of ERL
ERL
Eli Russell Linnetz is more than just a fashion designer: the multihyphenate directs music videos, designs concert stages, shoots editorials and campaigns, and has the likes of Grimes and Kanye West on speed dial.
Based in Venice Beach, his ERL line for men, women and children, shown under the umbrella of Dover Street Market Paris, offers twisted takes on vintage Americana. “Everything is surf, ski and skate. California is the only place where you can do all three in a day, so everything has that in the DNA,” he told WWD.
His fashion designs blend seamlessly into his storytelling practice. Witness A$AP Rocky’s outfit for last year’s Met Gala: a custom tuxedo topped with a patchwork cape that combined a quilt found at a thrift store with Linnetz’s personal mementoes, like a fragment of his dad’s bathrobe.
Fra Gomez de Villaboa for WWD
Knwls
Founded by Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault after they graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2017, the Charlotte Knowles label shot to fame for its lingerie-inspired pieces and flair for all things ’90s — catching the eye of every Hadid, Kardashian and Instagram girl looking to make a statement.
The label emerged from the coronavirus pandemic ready for a rebrand, changing its name to Knwls last year. In addition to its signature corset tops and body-framing printed leggings and matching tops, the brand unveiled collaborations with Marco Panconesi for jewelry and Andy Wolf for eyewear.
“With the rise of social media, confidence has shifted back into sexiness for a lot of women. Also, the idea of a strong, dangerous woman appeals to a lot of girls these days. As a Knwls wearer myself, I definitely feel more ‘in control’ and confident when I am wearing a full look,” Knowles explained.
Fran?ois Goizé/Courtesy of the LVMH Prize
Roisin Pierce
Róisín Pierce is no stranger to prizes. At the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography in 2019, the Irish designer won not only the inaugural Métiers d’Arts Prize in partnership with Chanel, but also the public’s vote for her collection.
Having graduated in textile design from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Pierce uses ruching techniques inspired by local craftsmanship to make her zero-waste garments, which are produced in Ireland and available exclusively in white, in a nod to Irish women’s history.
“I’m on the search for newness and freshness through letting the fabric manipulation guide me,” she told WWD. “It really is about a love for the craft, and a revival of the craft and pushing it through to get a new end product.”
Courtesy of Ryunosuke Okazaki
Ryunosukeokazaki
Ryunosuke Okazaki made a splash with his inaugural show at Tokyo Fashion Week last September, which featured fantastical dresses reminiscent of colorful insects. “He brought drama and the avant-garde at a time when most brands are focusing on comfort and practicality, neither of which were aspects he seemed particularly concerned with,” WWD wrote.
Okazaki, who was born in Hiroshima and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2021, does not sketch his creations. Rather, he relies on spiritual guidance to help him shape his sculptural 3D designs made of cotton or polyester knit, he said in his filmed presentation on the LVMH Prize site.
“The theme of my expression is harmony between human and nature and prayer,” he explained. “I don’t imagine the completion of the work, but just pray for it. And sometimes I find a form that I never imagined. I just keep moving my hands. The moment I exceed my imagination, I am very happy.”
Courtesy of SS Daley
S.S. Daley
A self-described working-class boy from Liverpool, Steven Stokey-Daley has captured hearts and minds with his theatrical shows at London Fashion Week that view the British class system through a queer lens, contrasting the feminine nature of elite boys’ school attire with the toxic masculinity they represent.
His first collections were inspired by watching the students at the neighboring Harrow school while studying for his BA in fashion design at the University of Westminster. Soon after, Harry Styles wore his graduate collection in his “Golden” music video, propelling the designer to instant fame.
Signature looks are inspired by the screen adaptations of literary classics like “Brideshead Revisited” and “Maurice” — think wide-legged trousers, argyle-knit wool vests and embroidered shirts made with U.K.-manufactured or deadstock fabrics, accessorized with straw boaters decorated with sprays of wild flowers.
Courtesy of Tokyo James
Tokyo James
A former stylist and editor, Nigerian British designer Iniye Tokyo James launched his line in 2015, challenging stereotypes associated with African fashion through edgy tailoring with a London rebel spirit, which has made fans of music stars such as Burna Boy, Naira Marley and Ghetts.
“As a brand, I’m really interested in humanity,” he said ahead of his first physical runway show at Milan Fashion Week in February. “We celebrate too many of our differences, which is not important. We need to look at what brings us together.”
His Lagos-based label blends traditional British tailoring with playful prints and daring embellishments. In a nod to the universal appeal of sportswear, his fall collection featured a partnership with Nike that involved upcycling materials such as high-top uppers, used as patches on a leather biker jacket.
Courtesy of Winnie
Winnie New York
Nigerian-born, London-raised designer Idris Balogun began his career as a tailoring apprentice at Hardy Amies on London’s Savile Row. After studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, he held senior menswear posts at Burberry and Tom Ford, before launching his label in New York City in 2018.
He describes his own aesthetic as taking Savile Row suiting to a casual and humble sort of place. Named after his late grandmother, Princess Winifred Dademu, Winnie New York blends classic pieces with edgier creations inspired by the work of artists — most made of deadstock or upcycled fabrics.
For his first official showing on the Paris men’s week calendar in January, the designer staged a presentation where clothes were hanging on raw wood sculptures or draped on cardboard cutouts. “It’s a bit taking the person out of it and appreciating the value of things,” he explained.
SEE ALSO:
Craftsmanship Is Key as LVMH Prize Showroom Returns to Physical Format
Nensi Dojaka Wins the 2021 LVMH Prize for Young Designers
‘Eco Responsibility’ Reigns Among 20 Semifinalists for LVMH Prize
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