LVMH Prize 2020 Canceled, Cash Prize Distributed Among Finalists
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the organization will also create a fund for past winners.
Each year, the LVMH Prize unites industry heavyweights with young creatives, with aims to inspire and uplift a new generation of fashion designers and brands, whittling down a pool of 20 nominees to a single winner. However, the eight finalists of the 2020 edition won’t get to compete in June, as this year’s prize has been canceled in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
On June 5, had the world not been turned upside-down by the spread of COVID-19, the eight finalists would have gathered at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris to present their collections to a group of handpicked industry insiders. This core panel of judges included household names like Virgil Abloh, Rihanna, Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière and more, abetted by a vast group of global experts.
However, the judging event has been canceled due to the illness and the €300,000 EUR cash prize will be distributed evenly among the eight finalists: Priya Ahluwalia, Casablanca designer Charaf Tajer, Nicholas Daley, Peter Do, Sindiso Khumalo, Tomo Koizumi, Supriya Lele and Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena of Chopova Lowena. Furthermore, the program’s management will establish a fund to benefit the brands that won the previous six editions of the LVMH Prize.
“Since its launch, the LVMH Prize has promoted and nurtured young talent,” said Delphine Arnault in a statement. “Each year, it places the spotlight on young designers from all over the world and supports the development of their companies. In this challenging context, this fund in aid of young fashion designers highlights the main mission of the LVMH Prize by supporting our former winners.”
Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton is mobilizing its workshops to create essential medical equipment for workers battling the coronavirus.
