Billboard Women in Music 2025
PARIS — The LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers on Wednesday revealed the eight finalists for this year’s award, showcasing designers who are responding to the threat of generative AI with a growing focus on craftsmanship and personal narratives.
Although the 20 shortlisted brands included for the first time candidates hailing from Egypt, Ghana and Saudi Arabia, the finalists are all based in established fashion capitals, with three working out of London, three out of Paris, one in Milan and one in Tokyo.
They will take part in the final to be held on Sept. 3 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
The U.K.-based contingent consists of Steve O Smith, Tolu Coker and Torishéju by Torishéju Dumi. They are joined by Alainpaul by Alain Paul, All-in by Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø, and Zomer by Danial Aitouganov, who are all based in Paris.
Rounding out the group are Soshiotsuki by Soshi Otsuki of Japan, who was previously shortlisted for the prize in 2016, and Italian designer Francesco Murano.
Delphine Arnault, the force behind the initiative and a key talent scout at family-controlled luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, said the finalists – selected by a jury of experts and a public vote – stood out for their expertise in tailoring and craftsmanship.
“As technology and AI reshape industries – not just fashion and luxury – creatives are reacting by embracing artisanal craftsmanship as a way to honor a heritage, show authenticity, or celebrate the mastery of the human hand and mind,” noted Arnault, who is chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture.
“Craft is not only difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce by cheaper means, it reflects a deeper need for rarity, connection, and self-expression, all of which resonate profoundly right now,” she told WWD.
In addition, many of the finalists take a cross-disciplinary approach, feeding off drawing, dance, film and magazine publishing, among others.
“Designers have always drawn inspiration from various other art forms; what’s different today is that social media makes those influences more accessible and visible than ever,” said Arnault. “For any brand, it’s no longer just about producing clothes, it’s about creating a whole culture. That kind of world building is what makes fashion so exciting and fascinating right now.”
The annual design prize has helped propel the careers of such talents as Marine Serre, Nensi Dojaka, Thebe Magugu, Simon Porte Jacquemus and Grace Wales Bonner. Last year’s winner was Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson, whose sustainable designs have won her fans including Cate Blanchett.
The grand prize winner receives a 400,000-euro endowment and mentorship by LVMH teams in such areas as sustainability, communications, marketing, legal, production and finance. The winners of the Karl Lagerfeld Prize and the Savoir-Faire Prize each receive a 200,000-euro allocation plus one year of mentorship from LVMH experts.
To qualify, designers must be between the ages of 18 and 40 and have at least two commercialized womenswear, menswear or genderless collections under their belt. In addition, three fashion school graduates are to be awarded 10,000 euros each and a one-year placement in the design studio of an LVMH brand.
A jury made up of LVMH’s famous designers will select the victors, with Sarah Burton set to join the panel following her appointment as creative director of Givenchy.
Here, a look at the finalists.
Alainpaul
With a 10-year career at brands including Vetements and Louis Vuitton under his belt, Alain Paul started his brand Alainpaul on solid foundations. But the main influence for his designs is not fashion but an earlier passion: his childhood training as a ballet dancer.
He joined the Ballet National de Marseille at the age of eight and left at 18 to pursue a career in fashion, earning degrees in brand management from the Kedge business school, and fashion design from Istituto Marangoni. “Those 10 years of my life really shaped my reality and my narrative today,” he said.
Alain Paul, who goes by his first name like his former boss Demna, cofounded the label in 2023 with his husband Luis Philippe, who has handled wholesale sales for labels such as Balenciaga, Jacquemus and Alaïa. His balletcore staples are now carried by some 30 retailers worldwide.
All-In
Benjamin Barron launched All-In as a fashion magazine when he was a photography student at Bard College in upstate New York. When he met designer Bror August Vestbø, clothing came into the mix, initially as custom pieces for the publication’s photo shoots.
After a first collection shown in New York City in 2019, the pair moved to Norway, where Vestbø pursued a master’s degree at the Academy of Arts in Oslo, then to Paris. Their collections center around recontextualizing existing garments, with “muses” including a former beauty pageant queen, debutantes and an aging pop star.
“It’s about all the different facades you put on throughout a day and the idea of being constantly in transition,” Barron said. Their footwear has been spotted on celebrities like Rihanna, Chloë Sevigny and Kylie Jenner.
Francesco Murano
Francesco Murano was about to graduate from Milan’s Istituto Europeo di Design in 2019 when Beyoncé requested some of his creations for her music video “Spirit.” Two years later, Cardi B followed suit.
Working with celebrities shaped Murano’s vision for his brand, which was initially based on a made-to-measure distribution model. His penchant for sculptural silhouettes, melding sleek tailoring and draped evening wear, is inspired by the ideal proportions of Ancient Greek sculptures.
Fresh off his runway debut during Milan Fashion Week in February, he’s hoping to add another award to his résumé, having scooped the Who’s On Next talent search’s top prize for womenswear in 2020, and received one of the 2024 grants bestowed by the Camera Moda Fashion Trust.
Soshiotsuki
Soshi Otsuki has gradually gained cult status in menswear circles for his oversized suits inspired by ‘80s era Giorgio Armani. When A$AP Rocky wore one on the cover of niche magazine The Travel Almanac last year, his e-commerce sales spiked.
A graduate of Bunka Fashion College, Otsuki also attended Coconogacco, the private fashion school that is producing some of the country’s most exciting new talents. Shortly after launching Soshiotsuki in 2015, he was shortlisted for the 2016 LVMH Prize.
Since then he has refined his signature blend of Japanese and Western menswear codes. Suit linings are slashed in reference to kimono sleeves, while some jackets are wrapped like karate uniforms.
Steve O Smith
Many fashion designs begin with a drawing. In the case of London-based designer Steve O Smith, the finished garment is literally a 3-D interpretation of his original sketch.
The Central Saint Martins graduate has developed a process that uses fabric appliqué and precise pattern cutting to translate drawn lines into wearable forms, like the black-and-white outfits worn by Eddie Redmayne and his wife Hannah Bagshawe to last year’s Met Gala.
Smith, who takes life drawing classes at the Royal Drawing School, works on a made-to-order basis to maintain a personal relationship with his customer.
Tolu Coker
Through colorful patterns, silhouettes that pay homage to traditional religions and sustainable fabrics, Tolu Coker explores the Black diaspora with her signature brand. British, Nigerian and Yoruba, Coker’s own identity is a key reference point in her work.
“Clothes are not simply garments. They are archives of memory, carriers of culture, and markers of identity. To wear is to honor the past, embrace the present and shape the future,” the Central Saint Martins graduate said.
Coker is also a multi-disciplinary artist, producing illustrations, documentaries and fashion films for brands including Adidas, Swatch, Illy Caffè and Dr. Martens. She’s passionate about using fashion and design as a platform for social change, through projects that support refugees, immigrants and minority communities.
Torishéju
For her splashy Paris runway debut in 2023, British-Nigerian-Brazilian designer Torishéju Dumi drafted a dream team: Naomi Campbell on the runway, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson styling and Charlie Le Mindu doing hair. Before long, Zendaya would wear one of the looks on her press tour for “Dune: Part Two.”
Having graduated from the MA menswear program at Central Saint Martins, where she was an Alexander McQueen-Sarabande Foundation scholar, Dumi honed her skills at Céline under Phoebe Philo, as well as at Ann Demeulemeester, Giles Deacon and Sibling London.
Her designs delve into the folklore and traditions of her heritage, with the aim of expanding prevailing notions of Black artistry. “I want to bring a new voice as a Black woman to fashion,” she said.
Zomer
Danial Aitouganov left his job as menswear designer at Louis Vuitton under Pharrell Williams last summer to dedicate himself to Zomer, the label he cofounded with stylist Imruh Asha.
A graduate of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, the Dutch designer has eight years of experience working for brands including Vuitton, Chloé and Burberry. Now he’s gaining plaudits for his colorful, sculptural designs with a Surrealist flourish.
The label’s fall 2025 collection was a game of Opposite Day, from starting with the finale to the clothes themselves, with reverse constructions that had the prototype makers scratching their heads. But the lineup also had commercial appeal, with buyers singling out bomber jacket coats as a surefire hit.
