Last week, French luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) named two Chinese designers among the semifinalists for the 2022 LVHM Prize, a global contest for young fashion designers.
Twenty emerging designers were selected for the semifinals in the ninth edition of the contest, including Peng Chen and Yueqi Qi of China. If either artist makes the final cut, it will mark the first time a Chinese designer is awarded the prize.
The LVMH Prize announced the selection of 20 young designers. They will present their collections at a showroom in Paris and on https://t.co/llfMW5rRy2 where experts and the general public will vote for the 8 finalists.
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— LVMH (@LVMH) February 16, 2022
In control of 75 prestigious brands, or Houses as they’re also called, such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, and Givenchy, the multinational corporation has organized the LVMH Prize annually since 2013.
According to the LVMH website, the winners are selected for their “fresh talent that is essential to the vitality and diversity of the fashion ecosystem.”
The winner is awarded a one-year mentorship and a cash prize of 300,000 EUR (about 341,085 USD). A second designer will be awarded the Karl Lagerfeld prize of 150,000 EUR (approximately 169,872 USD) and one-year mentorship.
So who are the young Chinese talents selected by LVMH this year?
Peng Chen
Chen launched his London-based unisex fashion brand CHENPENG in 2015 after graduating from the London College of Fashion with a master’s degree in menswear fashion design technology.
He quickly became one of the leading young designers in China, with more than 100 outlets selling his brand worldwide.
Chen’s collections focus on seasonal outerwear, with eclectic puffer coats as the centerpiece. His designs follow the notion of ‘one-size fashion’ in an inclusive attempt to represent different body sizes.
As if being an LVMH finalist wasn’t prestigious enough, Chen’s pieces were also featured in the 2022 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
Yueqi Qi
Qi graduated in knitwear from Central Saint Martins in 2018 and founded her namesake brand one year later.
According to her website, Qi’s first collection debuted at Shanghai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020.
Recently, she has collaborated with Gucci for Gucci Vault and dressed young celebrities like Eileen Gu and Zhong Feifei for Vogue China editorial shooting.
Qi is experienced in knitwear and beadwork, and she focuses on the mutation and creolization of Chinese tradition.
“I think it’s interesting how various elements of culture can be emulsified in time,” she said in a recent interview.
The 20 semifinalists will present their collections in Paris on March 4 and 5. The event will be held digitally simultaneously, and everyone will be able to discover the designers and vote for their favorite from March 4 to 9 on the dedicated website.
The eight finalists will be determined by votes from both experts and the general public.
Cover photo via Twitter: Yueqi Qi FW21 AD Campaign
