“And here is one of the greatest French actresses but also a fashion icon. ” Announced by Delphine Arnault, Deputy Director General of Louis Vuitton and founder of the prize, the guest of honor Isabelle Huppert comes forward to announce the winners of the 8e LVMH prize, on Tuesday, September 7.
Sanitary restrictions gave rise to an intimate awards ceremony at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris – instead of the usual cocktail party bringing together many guests – during which Nensi Dojaka, a 27-year-old designer of origin Albanian and living in London, won the bet. She receives an endowment of 300,000 euros and will benefit from a one-year mentorship within the LVMH group.
Her unstructured silhouettes, which play on transparency while celebrating the female body, unanimously won over the jury made up of the creators of the group’s houses: Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones (Dior Men), Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior), Stella McCartney, Virgil Abloh (Louis Vuitton man) and Jonathan Anderson (Loewe), supported by Delphine Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie, advisor to Bernard Arnault, and Sidney Toledano, Chairman and CEO of LVMH.
“This prize rewards both creativity and the winner’s ability to build a long-lasting brand. Nensi Dojaka has these two qualities. His work has a signature, he recognizes himself immediately ”, explains Stella McCartney, after the awards ceremony.
“1,900 international applications”
A graduate of both London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins School in London, the young woman will present her spring-summer 2022 collection on September 17, during London Fashion Week. “This award will allow me to expand my offer, develop my production and expand my team”, enthused Nensi Dojaka.
An unprecedented fact, the Karl Lagerfeld prize was awarded to three designers tied: Colm Dillane, 29 years old, American, founder of the KidSuper brand based in Brooklyn (women’s and men’s fashion), Lukhanyo Mdingi, 29 years old, South- African established in Cape Town (women’s and men’s fashion), and Rui Zhou, 26, Chinese, founder of the Rui brand, based in Shanghai. They each receive an endowment of 150,000 euros, as well as a year of mentoring.
“ Beyond the endowment, this year of mentoring is really very exciting, Colm Dillane confided during the press conference. Learning to run a business is not necessarily innate for us. Hope it starts tonight! “ Intellectual property, production, suppliers, legal aspects… So many subjects to discover for these young creators.
After the announcement of the winners, Virgil Abloh rushed to join the five losing finalists to assure them of his support, with a personal phone number in support. “I was in their shoes, I know they have the impression of having failed even though to have made it this far is already a great victory! “, launched the American designer.
Created in 2014, the LVMH prize has rewarded in previous editions young shoots who have become important voices in current fashion, such as the French Marine Serre, the English Grace Wales Bonner or the South African Thebe Magugu. “ The price arouses vocations, we see it in particular through social networks. This year, we received 1,900 international applications. It’s great to tell yourself that this is a possibility, wherever you are in the world ”, underlines Delphine Arnault. Environmental issues are at the heart of the proposals: “The nine finalists had all incorporated an eco-responsible vision into their collection. The profiles of the candidates follow the evolutions and the concerns of the current world ”, concludes Delphine Arnault.