The LVMH Prize’s judging panel has winnowed down its talent pool from the 26 nominees announced last month to a group of eight finalists. The final list includes up-and-coming labels from France, Portugal, the U.S., the U.K., and Austria — and two menswear designers (Craig Green and Off-White’s Virgil Abloh) are represented. Said LVMH director and EVP Delphine Arnault in a statement, “The designers who have entered the LVMH Prize 2015 have truly surprised and impressed us with their diversity, their ideas and enthusiasm. Although very young, they’re all extremely talented. I wish them luck. It will be a hard task for our Jury to choose one of them. The level of the competition is so high, I have no doubt we will see some of the semi-finalists again in the years to come.” The final ceremony will take place on May 22, so place your bets now.
The finalists are:
Coperni, by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant
Jacquemus, by Simon Porte Jacquemus
Marques’ Almeida, by Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida
Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh, by Virgil Abloh
Vetements, by Demna Gvasalia