So theirs is already an amazing achievement, one that brings wonderful opportunities.
Arnault was speaking toVogue Businessthis afternoon at the semi-finals of the LVMH Prize, which she founded in 2014.
The LVMH Prize comes with a 400,000 endowment plus a one-year mentorship.
Photo: Courtesy of LVMH Prize
Past winners include Hodakova, Setchu and SS Daley.
Delphine Arnault with the 2025 LVMH Prize semi-finalists.
One group that every semi-finalist has already forged a connection with is the team fromVogue Business.
Delphine Arnault with the 2025 LVMH Prize semi-finalists.
But they came back in later editions, and made it.
At this stage, I think you should always look at it as a glass half full.
Alainpaul by Alain Paul, France
Alain Paul.
Alain Paul.
Collections:Womenswear, menswear and genderless
How would you describe the unique selling point of your brand?
What do you think the biggest challenge facing emerging designers is today?
What does being in the LVMH Prize mean to you?
Bror August and Benjamin Barron.
The LVMH Prize is an incredible honour and a milestone.
What will you do with the grant if you win the prize?
I would use it to develop an e-commerce website and launch handbags.
David Boye-Doe Kusi.
We showed it to some friends including Maryam Nassir Zadeh, who decided to sell it in her store.
We did our first runway show in the store in 2019.
We presented a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces in Paris for the first time in 2021.
Francesco Murano.
That was the first time we met people that said we should produce it.
What do you think the biggest challenges facing emerging designers are today?
Bror:There are so many.
Josh Tafoya.
But an overarching thing that is difficult is that you have to put on so many different hats.
What does the LVMH Prize mean to you?
Benjamin:All-In started by looking at fashion from the outside.
Ahmed Hassan.
Maybe things have changed slightly more recently.
And we kept some distance, too.
So its been very exciting to be recognised in this way by the industry.
Meruert Planul-Tolegen.
Its such a benchmark.
What will you do with the prize if you win?
That was the basis of the brand in the beginning.
Sigurd Bank.
Its very time consuming.
So thats the first thing wed invest in.
Boyedoe by David Boye-Doe Kusi, Ghana
David Boye-Doe Kusi.
Nicklas Skovgaard.
Collections:Genderless
How would you describe the USP of your brand?
Emerging designers face a serious lack of funding.
It affects production, marketing and distribution and generally slows down the growth of the business.
Xiang Gao.
As an African designer, these opportunities are few and far between.
It is both humbling and something that fills me with immense pride.
The LVMH Prize also allows me the distinguished platform to continue to give back to our community.
Ryota Murakami.
The value of being in the LVMH Prize is a gift that will keep on giving.
If you had to describe your brand with a slogan, what would it be?
Blending Afro luxurious heritage with ethical elegance.
Cynthia Merhej.
Francesco Murano by Francesco Murano, Italy
Francesco Murano.
Collections:Womenswear
Im from the south of Italy, near Naples.
Sculpture, architecture and philosophy are the central part in my design process.
Sinéad O’Dwyer.
Thats combined with my irrational Dionysian part, passion and creativity.
How do you describe your style?
Silhouette and cut are very important to me.
Soshi Otsuki.
For me, its very important how the fabric works on the body.
What will you do if you win the Prize?
I started in 2020 offering made to measure clothing, and I built my brand step by step.
Steve O Smith.
I started really young, at 22 years old.
If I win this prize, I need real structure.
That is the first thing I will do.
Tolu Coker.
Josh Tafoya by Josh Tafoya, US
Josh Tafoya.
A different point of view from the American Southwest brought through authentic storytelling, craft and tradition.
My style is grungy, angsty, campy.
Torishéju Dumi.
I play with the tropes of Western style, keeping its rebellious spirit but also leaning into the flamboyancy.
One of the biggest challenges for young designers is the lack of support.
Ive seen a lot of young designers tackle their brands solo and struggle.
Yasmin Mansour.
Collaboration and building a supportive environment are key.
If you had to sum up the brand in two words, what would it be?
KML by Ahmed Hassan, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Hassan.
Sang Lim Lee et Youngshin Hong.
Collections:Menswear and genderless
How do you describe your brand?
We do conceptual wear inspired by traditional culture, and we do menswear.
But because were inspired by tradition, we dont have that strong definition between the genders.
Danial Aitouganov.
Were living in a very interesting time in Saudi Arabia.
It can look hip, new and sexy and still be relevant to our tradition.
How did you get into fashion design?
I think certain things you were just born with.
Its difficult to pinpoint a time in history where I started to design or be interested in design.
Its been there since the beginning.
But I can tell you why I started KML.
KML is our quest to show a perspective of what culturally relevant fashion could look like.
What is the biggest challenge facing you as a designer today?
Finding a bright team, finding bright people who do the quality that we are demanding is quite challenging.
Not only in Saudi, I think worldwide.
It means a lot.
So this is very useful networking and connecting to people.
Meruert Tolegen by Meruert Planul-Tolegen, US
Meruert Planul-Tolegen.
I believe the brand strives on creative shapes and fabrications, and brings forth an intellectual perspective on prints.
The consumer has changed, the market is different theres a lot of instability.
For me, the LVMH Prize feels validating of the hard work weve put into the brand.
It gives a sense of support that we often lack as new designers.
If you had to sum up the brand in one slogan, what would it be?
Mfpen by Sigurd Bank, Denmark
Sigurd Bank.
Collections:Womenswear and menswear
Tell us a bit about yourself and your brand.
Inspired by classic European tailoring, drawing on counter-cultural notions, we work with recontextualising stereotypes in fashion.
Intrigued by the opportunity, I began exploring ways to purchase these materials for my own projects.
This discovery ultimately inspired the creation of Mfpen.
How would you describe the USP of Mfpen?
Classic European tailoring with counter-cultural notions.
Why did you get into fashion design?
Through skateboarding and music culture.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing smaller brands today?
How can the fashion industry help designers overcome this challenge?
I can only answer for myself, but we luckily have a good amount of direct sales.
First and foremost, bring awareness to Mfpen and our concept.
The mentorship is, of course, an amazing opportunity to get knowledge from industry experts.
Nicklas Skovgaard by Nicklas Skovgaard, Denmark
Nicklas Skovgaard.
My name is Nicklas Skovgaard, Im 30 years old and Im based in Copenhagen.
What do you think the biggest challenge is facing smaller brands today?
One is scaling the brand in a responsible and healthy way.
First of all, Im very thankful to have my brand shortlisted as one of the 20 selected brands.
Already being in the prize is such an honour and a big step.
If I won the prize, I think it would be an invaluable part of growing my brand.
An emerging brand like mine could take away so many important learnings.
Penultimate by Xiang Gao, China
Xiang Gao.
I started Penultimate in 2018 after two years working at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC.
How would you describe the USP of your brand in two sentences?
This is the time I hear the world USP, and I havent thought much about it.
I wish that more people dared to enjoy fashion.
I would walk around this inspirational world more, keep making fantastic things and sell in my own shop.
Pillings by Ryota Murakami, Japan
Ryota Murakami.
How do you describe your brands USP?
The most important thing about the brand is craftsmanship and hand knits.
But due to the aging population, its fading.
This has been such a good environment to meet a lot of people, a lot of different buyers.
Its been a great opportunity.
Renaissance Renaissance by Cynthia Merhej, Lebanon
Cynthia Merhej.
Im most proud to say that everything is based in Beirut.
So on our production or our sampling.
Thats something really important and dear to my heart and to my process.
Whats the biggest challenge emerging brands are facing right now?
I can only talk from my perspective.
I started making wholesale collections around 2018/2019.
Then, Covid hit.
We had a financial collapse in Lebanon.
And then we had an explosion in the port of Beirut.
It was a very challenging and turbulent last few years, trying to keep rebuilding over and over.
And as you know more recently, we had the war in Lebanon and in Gaza.
So of course, this was like a whole new setback.
Were not a lot of people.
No one is full time, but they treat the job like they are.
So its really nice, I think, for everyone to get that validation.
What would you do if you won the prize?
Number one would be securing full-time employees.
Then, we can finally start expanding on our communications and marketing.
Sinead ODwyer by Sinead ODwyer, Ireland
Sinead ODwyer.
Im from Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland.
I started my brand officially in 2021.
Im deeply inspired by craft, and the connection between embellishment and construction.
I started making my own pieces almost instantaneously.
For me, its always production.
I think its an issue that can only be tackled together.
We need collective action across the whole industry, from design to production to retail.
Soshiotsuki by Soshi Otsuki, Japan
Soshi Otsuki.
Collections:Menswear
I am from Chiba, Japan, and I founded my brand in 2015.
Japanese spirits and tailoring technique.
In Japan, the shortage of skilled artisans due to an aging workforce is becoming a serious issue.
As a result, emerging designers with limited production volumes are finding it increasingly difficult to create high-quality garments.
Steve O Smith by Steve O Smith, UK
Steve O Smith.
I developed this practice while studying on the MA at Central Saint Martins in 2020
We make drawings.
What is your favourite piece in this collection and why?
Tolu Coker by Tolu Coker, UK
Tolu Coker.
What would you pull out as a really significant piece, maybe your favourite piece in the collection?
I think definitely the printed pieces, because there’s a real archival quality to them.
And there’s a real notion of how clothing isn’t just a commercial commodity.
And I think that’s a really significant thing in luxury and in storytelling.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing emerging designers today?
The market in London, generally, is challenging, especially for emerging designers.
I think about my community as not just people in London.
It’s quite global.
Its really about the diaspora.
Collaborative approaches are super important in a time like this.
My first priority is to build infrastructure.
Those are also the things that strategically allow me to generate revenue, to put that into the business.
Its important to be strategic with money, and this prize is a stepping stone.
Torisheju by Torisheju Dumi, UK
Torisheju Dumi.
Im based in London, and I launched the brand in 2023.
Torishejus USP lies in its unique blend of heritage, tradition and avant-garde design.
The brand challenges modern conventions with dynamic, thought-provoking reinterpretations of structure, shape and fabric.
What are some of the changes you would like to see in the fashion industry?
To me, the LVMH Prize represents recognition.
Being seen by those who have long been a source of inspiration for me.
Yasmin Mansour by Yasmin Mansour, Egypte
Yasmin Mansour.
Every piece reflects a dedication to sustainability and offers a modern interpretation of timeless sophistication.
This causes many to outsource their materials from foreign suppliers.
Tell us a bit about your brand.
We started the brand about seven years ago.
There is a population decline crisis in Korea.
In five years, half of the Korean population is going to be older than 50.
So this is a big issue, but it means that generation has great spending power.
So the thinking behind the brand is that we should adjust to the market.
Our stockists include Ssense in Canada, and some Korean department stores.
We are about to open our first physical store in Seoul too.
How do you go about finding out what the customers you are targeting want?
Our store is located in an area where people from older generations also live.
So they come to our store and we talk about the clothes.
They often think the brand is for younger people, but then they try it on and its beautiful.
What does the LVMH prize mean to you?
The main message we are trying to send is one of sustainability.
But we also want to say that aging can be a big trend.
Zomer by Danial Aitouganov, the Netherlands
Danial Aitouganov.
Theres always a touch of sense in what we do, but without losing a sense of sophistication.
What do you think the biggest challenge facing emerging designers is today ?
Another challenge is converting Instagram engagement into actual sales.
Industry-wide, more accessible production support and mentorship for young brands would help lessen these challenges.
The recognition from the industry is both humbling and motivating, pushing us to work even harder.
We are deeply proud and grateful at the same time.
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