Where do fashion prize winners end up?

Emerging in today’s complex fashion landscape is anything but simple. Talent is certainly not lacking, given the increasing number of students enrolling each year in Fashion Design programs around the world. In the past, the creative education hub was almost exclusively London, with Central Saint Martins being the Mecca for aspiring designers. Today, opportunities have spread, and top-tier institutions can be found everywhere. However, even the most prestigious diploma does not guarantee success or ascent to the industry’s upper echelons. This is where fashion awards come into play, serving as essential tools for emerging designers that, in addition to providing crucial media visibility, offer decisive financial resources to launch or consolidate a young brand. In such a competitive industry, where standing out means being noticed among thousands of equally talented peers, the support of a recognized platform can turn a promising idea into a sustainable project. There are many fashion competitions: some have a more local reach, others an international impact, but only a few have the prestige necessary to leave a tangible mark on a designer’s career, such as the International Woolmark Prize, the ANDAM Prize, and the LVMH Prize. But does winning an award truly guarantee a place among the industry giants? The answer, while ambiguous, is generally negative. The disparity between those who reach the creative directorship of a major maison and those who focus on their independent brands is evident. At the same time, it cannot be denied that many of the great luxury names, both past and present, started by winning the fashion industry’s most renowned "trophies." These awards remain a fundamental step in nurturing a dream and, at times, making it a reality.

International Woolmark Prize

The Woolmark Prize, established in the 1950s, has always aimed to promote the use of Australian Merino wool, encourage innovation, and support young design talent. This prestigious recognition has provided a platform to reinterpret wool through a contemporary lens, celebrating creativity and craftsmanship. Among its most famous winners are figures who have shaped the history of fashion, such as Valentino Garavani, Yves Saint Laurent, and Karl Lagerfeld. After the prize’s relaunch in 2012, the Woolmark Prize expanded its focus to include sustainability and new technologies, offering participants not only visibility but also resources to grow. Gabriela Hearst, the 2017 winner, leveraged the prize to strengthen her brand before becoming creative director of Chloé from 2021 to 2023. Marco Rambaldi, a 2023 finalist, represents the vibrancy of Italian fashion. Another finalist from the same edition, Rhuigi Villaseñor, used the competition as a vital platform to rebrand RHUDE. An interesting aspect of the Woolmark Prize is its ability to discover and promote emerging talent from different parts of the world. For instance, in 2023, the prize was awarded to Nigeria’s Lagos Space Programme and Denmark’s A.ROEGE HOVE, highlighting the competition’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating cultural diversity in fashion design.

ANDAM Prize

The ANDAM Prize (Association Nationale pour le Développement des Arts de la Mode), established in 1989, had an iconic beginning: its first winner, Martin Margiela, presented his eponymous brand, Maison Margiela, leaving an indelible mark on fashion history with his deconstructionist approach. During that presentation, Margiela chose an abandoned playground as the runway location, breaking the conventions of the time and inviting local children to sit in the audience, emphasizing his democratic vision of fashion. It was during this occasion that he introduced the iconic Tabi Boots, split-toe footwear inspired by traditional Japanese shoes, which have since become a symbol of his revolutionary aesthetic. Since then, the prize has continued to support emerging talents, many of whom have become key figures in the industry. Among its most notable alumni is Jeremy Scott, who won in 1998 and later debuted on Paris runways before joining Moschino in 2013. In 2011, Anthony Vaccarello won the ANDAM Prize, later becoming the creative director of Saint Laurent in 2016. Another standout name is Iris Van Herpen, the 2014 winner, who has brought fashion into a new dimension through pioneering technology, such as 3D printing, and her visionary approach to couture. Y/Project, awarded in 2017, demonstrated how conceptual and transformative design can coexist with commercial appeal under the leadership of Glenn Martens, who is now also the creative director of Diesel (and a potential successor to John Galliano at Margiela).

LVMH Prize

Is there anything in the fashion landscape that has not been absorbed by LVMH? Apparently not. In 2014, under the initiative of Delphine Arnault, the largest luxury conglomerate created the LVMH Prize. Over the past ten years, many designers destined to influence the future of fashion have received this recognition, which not only awards €400,000 but also includes two years of mentorship from the group. In 2016, Wales Bonner triumphed, followed by Marine Serre in 2017. Both have capitalized on the opportunity to solidify their position in the industry, becoming key figures in the dialogue between fashion and streetwear. Wales Bonner has carried out notable collaborations with Adidas, reinterpreting the iconic Samba sneakers, which became the it-sneakers of 2023. Marine Serre, on the other hand, has continued to shape the contemporary landscape through her sustainable and visionary approach, integrating sporty elements into her collections, as evidenced by her FW 2024 show, where she merged sportswear and eveningwear with a unique sensibility. In 2020, due to pandemic restrictions, LVMH exceptionally decided to award all finalists, including Casablanca, Chopova Lowena, and Peter Do (the latter served as the creative director of Helmut Lang from 2023 to 2024). In 2022, the award went to S.S. Daley, while the most recent edition saw the emergence of Hodakova. Today, all these names are consistently featured on international Fashion Week calendars, demonstrating how the prize successfully identifies talents capable of transitioning from emerging to established players. Of course, not all winners achieve the same level of notoriety, but unlike other recognitions, the LVMH Prize has managed in recent years to provide winners with the necessary tools to excel—in one way or another.