The 2021 LVMH Prize Invites You to Cast Your Vote Alongside Bella Hadid
It’s that time of year again: voting for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers has begun. Over 1,900 candidates submitted and for the eighth year of the competition, 20 semi-finalists have now been selected for the semi-final which will be showcased virtually (due to the restrictions placed upon the event by the pandemic).
The LVMH Prize has seen a few changes in recent history—just two years ago, the competition’s Special Prize was renamed the Karl Lagerfeld Prize, in honor of the late designer. But for the first time in the competition’s history, the public has been invited to help pick the winner of the esteemed fashion reward. Because the competition is entirely digital, anyone can vote for their favorite up-and-coming designer. That means, until April 11, you have a chance to vote alongside experts like Bella Hadid, Karlie Kloss, Pat McGrath, Léa Seydoux, and more of the fashion world’s authoritative figures, designers, and editors.
The common thread shared by each semi-finalist this year, according to the LVMH Prize press release, is that each one has “incorporated a responsible stance in their creative vision,” either by using upcycling and recycling, designing with “innovative” materials, or other forms of sustainable practice. Brands included in the semi-final battle include AGR, Bianca Saunders, Charles de Vilmorin, Christopher John Rogers, Conner Ives, Federico Cina, Kidsuper, Kika Vargas, Lagos Space Programme, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Midorikawa, Nensi Dojaka, Post Archive Faction (PAF), Renaissance Renaissance, Rier, Rui, Saul Nash, Shuting Qiu, Taakk, and Wed.
Previous winners of various editions of the LVMH Prize include Thebe Magugu (2019), Grace Wales Bonner (2016), and Hood by Air (2014). The grand prize winner this year will receive a €300,000 endowment and a one-year bespoke mentorship program, the Karl Lagerfeld Prize winner will receive the mentorship and €150,000, and three young fashion school graduates will be distinguished with a €10,000 grant and the opportunity to join an LVMH Group House creative studio for a year.
Meet all of the semi-finalists and cast your vote here.