On Thursday, March 24, luxury goods conglomerate LVMH announced the finalists that will be continuing in the 2022 LVMH Prize for Young Designers competition. After hosting a two-day showroom semi-final earlier this month with 19 designers (originally 20, but downsized when Maximilian Davis dropped out ahead of accepting his new role as new creative director of Salvatore Ferragamo), eight designers are competing to win the LVMH Prize and the Karl Lagerfeld Prize for Innovation later this spring.
The LVMH Prize was established in 2013 and has become known for spotlighting some of the buzziest names in fashion. Cult favorites like, Simon Porte Jacquemus of Jacquemus and Vetements co-founder and current creative director of Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia (who now goes by Demna) are among past nominees who have since skyrocketed to become major players in fashion. Past prize winners include Peter Do, Thebe Magugu, and Grace Wales Bonner of their eponymous labels. The most recent winner was Albanian-born, London-based designer, Nensi Dojaka.
This year’s eight finalists span from many different countries around the world, with three designers, Ashlyn by Ashlynn Park, ERL by Eli Russell Linnetz, and Winnie New York by Idris Balogun from the United States. The rest of the competitors consist of British designer Charlotte Knowles of Knwls, Canadian designer Alexandre Arsenault, Irish designer Róisín Pierce, plus Ryunosukeokazaki by Ryunosuke Okazaki from Japan, S.S. Daley by Steven Stokey-Daley from the U.K., and Tokyo James by Iniye Tokyo James from Nigeria.
“The semi-final, which took place both during a showroom and online, allowed us to discover the work of the shortlisted designers,” says Delphine Arnault, the founder of the LVMH Prize and executive vice president of Louis Vuitton in a press release. “I would like to applaud their talent and their enthusiasm, and to congratulate all of them. I especially enjoyed interacting with each one and I was won over by their inventiveness, their way of celebrating know-how and crafts, as well as their approach to environmental issues.”
Ahead, meet the crop of talented individuals, who will be showing their collections at the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris to a jury of fashion’s biggest names, including designers Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Kim Jones, Jonathan Anderson, and Maria Grazia Chiuri; critics Tim Blanks and Suzy Menkes; editors Carine Roitfeld and Edward Enninful; and models Karlie Kloss and Bella Hadid.
Ashlyn by Ashlynn Park, New York, womenswear
Ashlynn Park’s career spans two continents and over a decade of experience working for influential brands. Originally from South Korea, Park trained in Seoul before moving to Tokyo to continue her studies. Upon winning Japan’s SO-EN Award in 2008, Park was offered a role as Fashion Designer and Pattern Maker at Yohji Yamamoto. She moved to New York in 2011, working on creative teams for Alexander Wang, Raf at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, and now is bringing her craft and unique perspective to her eponymous label, Ashlyn. Each piece celebrates femininity and timeless elegance, while the brand works to minimize waste and environmental harm. Above all, Park strives to create enduring wardrobe favorites to delight anyone who wears them.
ERL by Eli Russell Linnetz, United States, womenswear, menswear and genderless collections
Based in Venice Beach, California, Eli Russell Linnetz launched his label ERL in January 2020 with a full menswear collection capturing California’s colorful and laid-back spirit with simple, sensual takes on all-American staples. ERL has since expanded its offerings to include womenswear, suiting, accessories, and childrenswear for ages 4-14. If the label’s distinct aesthetic looks familiar, it may be because you’ve seen a look from ERL’s Fall 2021 menswear collection featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2021 Costume Institute “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” And A$AP Rocky wore an upcycled ERL quilt with a custom ERL tuxedo to the 2021 Met Gala.
KNWLS by Charlotte Knowles, United Kingdom & Alexandre Arsenault, Canada, womenswear
The South London-based brand launched in 2017 by Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, shortly after they graduated from Central Saint Martins. Since 2017, the eponymous label, named after one of its founders, has been worn by everyone from The Crown’s Emma Corrin to Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, and Bella Hadid. In April, the brand underwent a creative rebirth and debuted its Fall-Winter 2021 collection as KNWLS. The brand strives to embody a disruptive vision of femininity. Best known for experimental bodycon designs that accentuate the silhouette in unexpected ways with bold textures and prints, KNWLS proposes an alternative approach to sensuality, exploring the strength of femininity.
ROISIN PIERCE by Róisín Pierce, Ireland, womenswear
The Dublin-based womenswear designer has been awarded the Chanel Métiers d’Art design accolade as well as the Prix du Public for her premier collection Mná i Bhláth at the International Fashion and Photography Festival, Hyères 34th edition. Subsequently, Róisín collaborated with three Chanel designers in 2020. A mindful and conscious approach to design is top of mind for Pierce, whose brand explores the potential of zero waste cutting and construction techniques, and thoughtful ways of production through deadstock upcycling and material recycling.
RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI by Ryunosuke Okazaki, Japan, genderless collections
Launched in 2018, Designer Ryunosuke Okazaki, a graduate from with a Design MA from the Tokyo University of the Arts, is inspired by “harmony between people and nature” and “prayer.” Born and raised in Hiroshima, Ryunosuke has been praying for peace since he was a child. Ryunosuke’s approach is to work with the fabric and his hands to create the dress, rather than start with sketching. The brand has received a slew of accolades including the big design award in September 2021, first prize in the Graduation Works Exhibitions in 2021, and winner of the Design MA at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2019.
S.S. DALEY by Steven Stokey Daley, United Kingdom, menswear
Liverpool-born Steven Stokey Daley reinterprets the structural nature of the British upper class through a “homosocial” lens, by creating an overly camp approach to traditionally British elite “uniforms” usually worn to events like rowing regattas and cricket matches. Honing his craft on the menswear teams at Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford, Daley had a range of experiences that prepared him for crafting his own brand identity. In fact, Daley first got noticed from his use of donated McQueen fabrics in his graduate collection.
TOKYO JAMES by Iniye Tokyo James, Nigeria, menswear
Iniye Tokyo James is at the forefront of emerging talent coming out of Nigeria at the moment. Not a traditionally-trained designer, Tokyo James studied mathematics at Queen Mary University, London. Shortly after, he began his career as a young fashion stylist in London, working for various international publications and directing digital campaigns for brands such as Brioni, Issey Miyake, and Puma Black Label. With years of experience under his belt, James launched his digital monthly publication, Rough UK, an authoritative, unapologetic voice with a penchant for strong visual imagery that later expanded to Rough Italia and Rough New York after its successful run in the UK.
WINNIE NEW YORK by Idris Balogun, United States, menswear
A Fashion Institute of Technology graduate, Idris Balogun earned an apprenticeship on London’s prestigious Savile Row at a young age. There he was able to hone and master skills as a cutter and tailor before moving to Burberry, where he helped develop a singular view of the brand under the direction of Christopher Bailey. Shortly after, he began his career with Tom Ford, where he worked as director of menswear and made-to-measure before launching his label.
