Inside the 2026 LVMH Prize Shortlist
by Anna Barr
The 20 semi-finalists for the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers have been unveiled ahead of the two-day event on March 4–5 in Paris during fashion week, spotlighting the next generation of visionary talent in global fashion. Now in its 13th edition, this prestigious competition has become a powerful launchpad for emerging designers, offering not just financial support and mentorship but unrivalled industry visibility. Past winners have gone on to shape the fashion world from Marine Serre and Casablanca to British designer Grace Wales Bonner, whose 2016 LVMH Prize win helped accelerate her rise and this year we will see her highly anticipated debut as Hermès menswear creative director.
“I am delighted by the worldwide success of the LVMH Prize. Once again, I have the privilege of unveiling a shortlist of remarkable talents. Their collections span contemporary elegance, bold designs and even one-of-a-kind pieces. Craftsmanship and research into materials lie at the heart of their creations. This year’s 20 semi-finalists come from major fashion capitals, as well as, for the first time, Georgia, Kenya and Thailand. I am also pleased to welcome back Kartik Research, a semi-finalist in 2023. I wish to congratulate all the semi-finalists and look forward to meeting them at our showroom, which will take place for the first time this year at La Samaritaine, an iconic landmark in the heart of Paris.” Stated Delphine Arnault.
The LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers awards a €400,000 endowment along with a year of tailored mentorship from LVMH. The Karl Lagerfeld Prize honors the creativity of an emerging brand with €200,000 and a one-year mentorship program, while the Savoir-Faire Prize recognizes exceptional craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability, also granting €200,000 and specialized mentoring focused on preserving and developing artisanal skills. In addition, the Prize supports three recent fashion school graduates, each receiving €10,000 matched for their school and the opportunity to join the design studio of one of the Group’s Houses for a year.
Menswear is strongly represented among the 2026 LVMH Prize semi finalists, including many familiar names that we have covered during fashion week. Dedicated menswear labels include DERRICK by Luke Derrick, SHINYAKOZUKA by Shinya Kozuka, and SSSTEIN by Kiichiro Asakawa, while brands such as IAMISIGO, INSTITUTION, KARTIK RESEARCH, LII, and PONTE blur the lines between menswear, womenswear, and genderless design. Don’t forget that you can vote for your eight favourite brands via the digital platform lvmhprize.com alongside the experts!
2026 LVMH PRIZE Semi-Finalists:
THE TWENTY SEMI-FINALISTS ACT N°1 by Luca Lin, Italy, genderless collections
COLLEEN ALLEN by Colleen Allen, United States, womenswear
DE PINO by Gabriel Figueiredo, France, womenswear
DERRICK by Luke Derrick, United Kingdom, menswear
GOLSHAAH by Golnar Ahmadian, Iran, womenswear
IAMISIGO by Bubu Ogisi, Nigeria, womenswear and menswear
INSTITUTION by Galib Gassanoff, Georgia, womenswear, menswear and genderless collections
JULIE KEGELS by Julie Kegels, Belgium, womenswear
KARTIK RESEARCH by Kartik Kumra, India, womenswear and menswear
KINYAN LAM by Kinyan Lam, China, genderless collections
LII by Zane Li, China, womenswear and menswear
MAZ MANUELA ÁLVAREZ by Manuela Álvarez, Colombia, womenswear
NONG RAK by Cherry W. Rain-Phuangfueang, United States, and Teerapat Phuangfueang, Thailand,
womenswear, menswear and genderless collections
PETRA FAGERSTRÖM by Petra Fagerström, Sweden, womenswear
PONTE by Harry Pontefract, United Kingdom, womenswear and menswear
SHINYAKOZUKA by Shinya Kozuka, Japan, menswear
SSSTEIN by Kiichiro Asakawa, Japan, menswear and genderless collections
THE VXLLEY by Daniel del Valle Fernandez, Spain, genderless collections
TÍSCAR ESPADAS by Tíscar Espadas, Spain, and Kevin Kohler, Switzerland, genderless collections
YOSHITA 1967 by Anil Padia, Kenya, womenswear
Valentino “Fireflies” Campaign
Ami Paris’s Valentine’s Selection
LOEWE Perfumes has introduced the sixth fragrance in its Elixirs collection.
Spanning 400 square meters across two levels, the space houses the largest sauna in France, over 60 square meters conceived as a sensory environment.
GUESS JEANS has released a new capsule collection with Borussia Dortmund, bringing the German club’s black and yellow identity into the brand’s denim universe.
Marking the brand’s 10-year anniversary, SITUATIONIST enters the Paris Fashion Week calendar with their Fall/Winter 26/27 show.
Caster Willmott shot by Aitor Santomé and styled with archive pieces from Alec Bizby, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
The new ARNODEFRANCE collection is called “Silence Taught Me Violence.” After last year’s debut shows in Paris and the push to articulate the label’s identity to a wider audience, founder Arno has pulled the volume down. The… »
Ami Paris has expanded its Mirage sneaker collection with new models joining the pairs introduced last season.
David, Ryan, Seorin, Tyler, Tom and Jonah captured by the lens of Schaël Marcéus, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
The two brands have unveiled their second footwear collaboration, the GEL-QUANTUM™ 360 I.
The collection carries that Dsquared2 mix: confidence, a bit of edge, urban energy with a nod to sex appeal.
Through intimate portraits of friends, Javier González de Castejón transforms vulnerability into connection. Bodies appear not as something to expose, but as something that holds stories, trust and shared time.
Burberry has released a new capsule collection created with the Royal Collection Trust, the department of the Royal Household that looks after the official art collection.
FOOTDISTRICT has teamed up with New Balance on an editorial project built around the new ABZORB 1890 silhouette.
Denis Jovanovic at Tank Agency photographed and styled by Matt Dortomb, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
The brand launched a global “Off The Wall” campaign centered on the shoe that started it all and the people who have always shaped its meaning.
Photographer Danielle Sinai Shvadron captured an intimate look behind the scenes as the brand stepped back into the spotlight.
Michael Rider showed a confident third collection for the house of CELINE staged at the Institut de France during Paris Fashion Week.
Laskaar has a new single out. The artist closes the chapter of his album TRANSFORMA with a new single, “Materialista,” and it sounds nothing like where he started.
For the first time, the brand ventures into spring and summer with its SS26 collection, extending its reach beyond frozen frontiers.
Hyunjin, a member of Stray Kids, will front campaigns for both GUESS and GUESS JEANS starting this month.
The two brands have teamed up for the first time in six years to mark BEAMS’ 50th anniversary and the reopening of its Harajuku store.
The exhibition opens March 15, 2026 at the Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium at Château La Coste and runs through June 21.
SAINT LAURENT RIVE DROITE Paris will exhibit a selection of paintings by Yvonne Robert starting March 12, with Anthony Vaccarello curating the show.
This is the second CASA LOEWE in the city, and it spans two floors covering 405 square meters.
Guinness and JW Anderson are back with a second collaboration. The new collection follows their 2024 debut and expands significantly, moving from four pieces to 17.
Zadig&Voltaire returned to the Paris runway with their FW26 collection, marking Creative Director Dan Sablon’s debut for the house.
The new collaboration, called the Walter Pak’r, arrives this month in three colors: Orange, Blue and Military Green.
The collection is called “Dance of Jade,” and it takes inspiration from the Tang dynasty.
Ruben photographed by Maksym Bogdanov and styled by Agustin Espinosa, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Take a look at Trashy Clothing’s FW26 backstage, captured by the lens of Ching-Fan Yang at the Institut du Monde Arabe during Paris Fashion Week.
