LVMH Prize 2021

[bc collector]

In the wake of the selection of the finalists for the LVMH Prize 2021, I had a look at their website where, for the first time, there is a digital showroom where the semi-finalists can introduce themselves and their work and, more importantly, the viewers can vote their favourite. What is your pick (or prediction) for this year edition?

p.s.: was it my computer or the website is kind of hard to navigate?

 

[perhydrol]

Can someone explain to me why Charles de Vilmorin is even there? I mean, has he even produced two full collections before being nominated? There are criteria that have to be met to be able to participate in the competition and being a nepo-designer is not one of them.

 

[Urban Stylin]

Can someone explain to me why Charles de Vilmorin is even there? I mean, has he even produced two full collections before being nominated? There are criteria that have to be met to be able to participate in the competition and being a nepo-designer is not one of them.

Vogue summed it up

"The 24-year-old’s appointment is partly down to his provenance—his great-aunt Louise de Vilmorin was an heiress and a femme des lettres friendly with Hélène Rochas, the wife of couturier Marcel Rochas—and partly down to the joie de vivre of his colorful aesthetic. De Vilmorin’s debut collection of quilted jackets conjured Niki de Saint Phalle’s famous Nana sculptures, and last month, he presented his first haute couture collection at the invitation of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode in the same exuberant vein. It probably hasn’t hurt that he looks a lot like the youthful Yves Saint Laurent"

 

[Benn98]

^He won't win anyway, lol. I mean, thankfully there are enough London designers to choose from the lineup, should they wish to go in that direction. Which I don't think they will.

Why do most of it look like such a rip-off? Craig Green, Kane, Matty Bovan, Iceberg, Simone Rocha. And the fact that they got selected is even more worrying.

There are some really awful verging on vulgar collections I'm seeing here. Rui immediately comes to mind. And the guy from South Korea must've been selected on of his passport only because the actual work is unimaginative to the max. Plus....in the eternal words of Pam Boy, one of our greatest thinkers in modern fashion, 'streetwear is dead', lol.

I'll place my bet firmly on Shuting Qiu from China. Her collections look like the type of stuff LVMH thinks is 'creative'. And I like what I'm seeing. Connor Ives looks great as well, and I'd personally like to wear Saul Nash.

Pity Lukhanyo's work also looks good, I like the play with colour and texture. But I doubt they'd give the prize to a South African winner three times in a row.

In the wake of the selection of the finalists for the LVMH Prize 2021, I had a look at their website where, for the first time, there is a digital showroom where the semi-finalists can introduce themselves and their work and, more importantly, the viewers can vote their favourite. What is your pick (or prediction) for this year edition?

p.s.: was it my computer or the website is kind of hard to navigate?

Not just you, it's so annoyingly un-UX friendly! Perfect example of design and flashiness being prioritised over functionality. You can tell whoever designed the website isn't a fashion person. Must be some recluse IT nerd who think we'd be obsessed with it. Fashion people are famously NOT good with tech in any shape or form. LOL.

 

[Lola701]

I actually see a lot of design assistants or maybe some people (if well managed) who can take over as creative directors of brands but not a lot of Household worthy designers.

Connor Ives is the most promising voice in the selection even if I think that the LVMH Prize is a good opportunity for non western designer to establish their name (particularly African designers because in Asia, there’s a lot of competition)

But there’s a clear lack of identity in the talents. A lot of things are very reminiscent of recent, actually selling right now, fashion.

In a way De Villemorin stand out, no matter how irrealistic his proposition is.

 

[bc collector]

My first impression from the line-up was one of over-representiveness of black designers: the suits are obviously scared shitless of not being in tune with the woke zeitgeist, at the cost of putting there designers whose skills are a bit sub-standard (like Lagos Space Programme), even considering they are starting out.

If I have to choose one from the list, for me it's Nensi Dojaka. I think her work is very distinctive and, somehow, wearable, it does not stink too much of graduate collection like most of the others. Whether she wins or not, I hope she will get enough attention to be able to build something solid from here.

As for the De Villemorin, regardless of the supposed nepotism behind his career boost, he should just pay royalties to Kansai Yamamoto and shut up.

 

[Benn98]

Connor Ives is the most promising voice in the selection even if I think that the LVMH Prize is a good opportunity for non western designer to establish their name (particularly African designers because in Asia, there’s a lot of competition)

If not Shuting, then another Chinese designer will win. Has to. Think of it as a gesture from LVMH to China for their continued support. Jing Daily, which is like the party-approved mouthpiece of the fashion industry, has been making a lot of noise last season about their native Chinese designers - where they show, how much they make, what opportunities are open to them. I imagine very soon they'll just openly demand that a Chinese winner be crowned just like they've shunned all the brands who didn't cast Chinese models, because they have LVMH over a barrel. And if you ask me, there'd be nothing wrong with that. At least not if the most creative one was selected. Subjective, I know.

 

[bc collector]

^^^ In fact, Idk the actual winner matters as much as at least being selected as a finalist. If the winner position is subject to that kind of politics, I guess the market will decide who the real winner is (does anyone remember who Thomas Tait is, to name one?). Think about Matthew Williams who was in the line-up barely five years ago....

 

[THD96]

I like a few of them like Federico Coma and Renaissance Renaissance and CDV (in the context of this competition. The rest is okay or IG aesthetic forgettable.

I don't understand why CJR and CDV need to join this prize tho. As CJR does he need more money for his brand. He already have the social media on his side and he have a lot of connection in the industry (freelancer designer like him score a Vogue UK cover is not easy). Comparing to the rest of the contestants CDV already at "the finish line". As he already have well connection with important people in the industry, and he already at a storied house. So with or without this prize he doing just fine.

 

[Benn98]

^^^ In fact, Idk the actual winner matters as much as at least being selected as a finalist. If the winner position is subject to that kind of politics, I guess the market will decide who the real winner is (does anyone remember who Thomas Tait is, to name one?). Think about Matthew Williams who was in the line-up barely five years ago....

Interesting point! I actually don't recall all the winners and had to look. Whereas the Vogue/CFDA winners are very much on my radar mainly because they get consistent support - even years after they've won.

 

[THD96]

We have a winner.
Her clothes is really... clothes, I guess.



Also what the heck is Emma wearing?

 

[helmutnotdead]

YES! super glad for her.

 

[bc collector]

Also what the heck is Emma wearing?

LV, I'm afraid.

Btw, ND was by far the best of the bunch.
Glad the jury was not side-tracked any considerations other than talent and technical skills.

I hope she will take advantage of this prize to expand her vocabulary a bit in the future...

 

[Benn98]

I'm Rui Zhou in that video, the one who hardly clapped for the winner at the end? Love a sore loser.

I do recall the winner's designs didn't make much of an impression on me. It's your typical Helmut Lang/Eckhaus Latta fare which I actually like, but do we need more? Besides, if they wanted that sort of thing they could've gone for Connor Ives.

The host, Emma, is so annoying with the poser vibe. She's trying so hard to be a cool Brit in a Kate Moss sort of way, and failing equally hard. Is American culture really so polarising that LVMH had to get these two to host? It's like serving Big Macs in a Michelin star restaurant.

I predict Jing Daily will feel some sort of way about the results.....

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Was rooting for Connor Ives but honestly, anyone winning over the Vilmorin guy is best-case scenario for me.

 

[Benn98]

Ahem, posted yesterday.....

Via Jing Daily:

LVMH Prize Jury Sorely Lacks Diversity

The LVMH Prize is one of the most anticipated and prestigious competitions in the fashion industry. However, the jurying panel continues to show little diversity or newness. Not only do the members all come from previous editions, but the board also lacks cultural representation. There is no Asian panelist, and only one out of nine jury members is a person of color.

The Prize reveals a deep-rooted issue in fashion circles (a Eurocentric mentality), which won’t go away anytime soon. Yet, some progress has been made. For instance, this was the first year that a Chinese designer made it to the finals. Moreover, the British Fashion Council just announced its new partnership with 50:50 The Equality Project, an initiative launched by the BBC to fairly represent its audience and better reflect the world around us. Efforts from institutions and the rise of voices from non-white communities like the #BlackLivesMatter and #StopAsianHate movements have led to inclusion and diversity improvements in an industry dominated by white people.

That said, more must be done to give global talents equal opportunities to affirm their labels on the international stage. And LVMH, the influential leader in luxury fashion, should be responsible for setting an example.

 

[SophiaVB]

presented by emma & derek... ok...

 

[dior_couture1245]

Just come out and say less white people for everything, always. The honesty would be nice.

 

[bc collector]

Can I say the article above is just plain RI-DI-CU-LOUS (imagine I pronounce this in a Valentino voice)?
And, on top of that, like @Benn98 pointed out, quite predictable.

Major fashion schools in Europe thrive on Asian students, who seem to be pretty much the only ones who can afford the skyrocketing fees, like in the UK. Just have a look at the last graduation show from the RCA MA course and you get a pic.So, putting them on the same level as the way more economically disadvantaged black community is intellectually dishonest.

Japanese designers have been welcomed in the Western market for such a long time and they continue to be, because they have something distinctive to say and customers all over the world recognise this. Are Japanese not Asian then?

Can it be, my dear friends from Jing Daily, that China has so far proved unable to produce relevant messages in all creative fields (including architecture, industrial design and fine arts) because only democracies can allow that sort of freedom that is crucial for the creative community to thrive? It seems to me, also, that not even Chinese customers are that interested in supporting their own talents, because all the Chinese designers I can think of are kind of niche, whereas the big luxury conglomerates are capitalising on the Chinese market like never before.

Food for thought, eh?

 

[Benn98]

Can I say the article above is just plain RI-DI-CU-LOUS (imagine I pronounce this in a Valentino voice)?
And, on top of that, like @Benn98 pointed out, quite predictable.

Major fashion schools in Europe thrive on Asian students, who seem to be pretty much the only ones who can afford the skyrocketing fees, like in the UK. Just have a look at the last graduation show from the RCA MA course and you get a pic.So, putting them on the same level as the way more economically disadvantaged black community is intellectually dishonest.

Japanese designers have been welcomed in the Western market for such a long time and they continue to be, because they have something distinctive to say and customers all over the world recognise this. Are Japanese not Asian then?

Can it be, my dear friends from Jing Daily, that China has so far proved unable to produce relevant messages in all creative fields (including architecture, industrial design and fine arts) because only democracies can allow that sort of freedom that is crucial for the creative community to thrive? It seems to me, also, that not even Chinese customers are that interested in supporting their own talents, because all the Chinese designers I can think of are kind of niche, whereas the big luxury conglomerates are capitalising on the Chinese market like never before.

Food for thought, eh?

LOL. You have to understand that when Jing Daily says 'Asian' they actually mean 'Chinese.' If half of the contestants/jury were Japanese/Korean they'd have a problem with that too. I find their musings very hilarious because they approach everything with this brand of fierce nationalism you'd only really find in politics. Nationalism in fashion isn't a foreign concept (see the overplayed 'Made in Italy/France' and 'American Fashion'), but with them, it's so aggressive and almost petty.

I have to say that I do agree with them that even with the access, Chinese designers are struggling not to get in schools or funding, but to get the same acclaim a Jacquemus, Marine Serre, or any of the Belgians would get by virtue of their passport. But as you point out, that's partly due to Chinese consumers too. When fashion flooded that country in the 2000s it didn't allow any space for a Chinese label to exist on the same level. It basically told consumers these Western brands are the standard and nothing else! And so there wasn't an organised fashion system or industry to educate their consumers by exposing them to both options because all of them were too busy trying to control the influx of brands looking to set up shop in the country. Dunno who won in the end - fashion, because they got all that profit (even throughout the pandemic). Or the Chinese govt, because they have all fashion brands over a barrel.
There is a however growing class of fashion consumers in China who are supporting Chinese designers within the country or the diaspora or capsules with a distinct Chinese identity. And they are slowly getting more respect than the ones who buy Chanel/LV etc.

I dunno, imo Jing Daily should be more worried about the fact that their government is waging a quiet war on 'effeminate men'. Because that will hurt the highly profitable fashion market they seem to glorify so much directly since Chinese men are the 2nd top spenders in the global men's beauty market.

Bags are about to be stopped.