And Then There Were Eight

This week LVMH announced the eight finalists for its coveted 2024 prize. The shortlist features a diverse lineup of designers with varying backgrounds, with half of the nominees specializing in womenswear. Hailing from countries across Europe and North America and chosen from a pool of 2,500 candidates, this year’s finalists will present their collections before the prize jury in September.

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Some of this year’s finalists have designed custom pieces for Grammy Award-winning artists Beyoncé and Billie Eilish (Duran Lantink, who was a semifinalist for the prize in 2019), while others are just a little over a year into creating their own label (Marie Adam-Leenaerdt). French womenswear designer Pauline Dujancourt is this year’s sole finalist coming from London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, which was the alma mater of all LVMH prize winners since its inception until 2017. Sustainability and ethical practices are among the concerns paramount in this year’s collections: Welsh designer Paolo Carzana crafts his collections with entirely organic or antique materials, and Swedish womenswear designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson transforms discarded materials into luxury pieces in an effort to create the first fully sustainable fashion house in the world. Rounding out the final eight are Julien Louie, Niccolò Pasqualetti, and Michael Stewart of Standing Ground.

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The winner of the 2024 LVMH prize will be determined by a jury and will receive an endowment of 400,000 euros along with a one-year mentorship by LVMH. Since its inception in 2014, winners of the coveted award have gone on to run their own businesses (Marta Marques), be featured in Paris Fashion Week (Marine Serre), and even become household names in the industry (Peter Do).

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Other awards up for grabs include the Karl Lagerfeld Prize and, for the first time, the Savoir-Faire Prize—which celebrates excellence in craftsmanship, innovation, and commitment to sustainability—with winners of each of these awards receiving an endowment of 200,000 euros as well as their own one-year LVMH mentorship program. The jury includes some of fashion’s most notable figures, including Jonathan Anderson and Stella McCartney, with the addition of Pharrell Williams and Phoebe Philo to this year’s panel of jurors.

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The final for the 11th edition of the LVMH prize will be held on Sep 10, 2024 at the Louis Vuitton Foundation at 8 Av. du Mahatma Gandhi, 75116 Paris, France.