Get to know the 20 LVMH Prize semi-finalists for 2025

It’s that time of year again:  LVMH has revealed the semi-finalists for its prestigious 2025 Prize.

The competition is held annually, with a reputation for kick-starting the careers of some of the best and brightest designers. Last year,  it was Ellen Hodakova Larsson of Hodakova, and notable winners from previous years include Jacquemus, Thebe Magugu, Grace Wales Bonner, and Marine Serre.

What’s at stake? The winner of the The LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, which focuses on creativity, will walk home with  €400,000 (just over $660,000 AUD) worth of funding, and a year-long mentorship by a dedicated LVMH team. There’s also the Karl Lagerfeld Prize, which awards €200,000 as well as a one-year mentorship program, and the Savoir-Faire Prize, which focuses on exceptional craftsmanship, technical expertise, and sustainability in a young brand. The winner of this category will receive a €200,000 endowment, and a one-year specific mentoring programme dedicated to fostering these skills.

In the running for 2025 are 20 designers, hailing from 15 countries in total. This year also marks the first time Egypt, Ghana, and Saudi Arabia have been represented at this stage of the competition. Next month – on March 5 – this list will be shortened to eight finalists, before the final winners are determined.

Below, get acquainted with the designers in the running for the 2025 LVMH prize.

AlainPaul, by French designer Alain Paul

All-In by American designer Benjamin Barron, and Norwegian designer Bror August Vestbø

Boyedoe by Ghanan designer David Boye-Doe Kusi

Francesco Murano, by Italian designer Francesco Murano

Josh Tafoya by American designer Josh Tafoya

KML by Saudi Arabian designer Ahmed Hassan

Meruert Tolegen by American designer Meruert Planul-Tolegen

MFPEN by Danish designer Sigurd Bank

Nicklas Skovgaard by Danish designer Nicklas Skovgaard

Penultimate by Chinese designer Xiang Gao

Pillings by Japanese designer Ryota Murakami

Renaissance Renaissance by Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej

Sinead O’Dwyer by Irish designer Sinéad O’Dwyer

Soshiotuki by Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki

Steve O Smith by UK designer Steve O Smith

Tolu Coker by UK designer Tolu Coker

Torisheju by UK designer Torishéju Dumi

Yasmin Mansour by Egyptian Yasmin Mansour

Young N Sang by South Korean designers Sang Lim Lee and Youngshin Hong

Zomer by Netherlands designer Danial Aitouganov