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Satoshi Kuwata, the Japanese designer and founder of Setchu, a brand that unites East and West, craftsmanship and transformation, won the 2023 LVMH Award for Young Designers, the largest and most prestigious award in the fashion industry.
He will receive 400,000 euros (about $429,000) and a year of mentoring by an LVMH executive.
The Karl Lagerfeld Special Jury Prize was awarded to Julie Pelipas, the founder of Bettter, a Ukrainian womenswear brand based on repurposing dead stock, and Luca Magliano of Magliano, an Italian menswear brand. Both will receive 200,000 euros and a one-year mentorship.
Why It Matters: Bridge Building Takes Center Stage
The LVMH award is a benchmark for the most important trends within the fashion industry, especially among young designers who respond to the political and social concerns of their generation. In the past, gender fluidity was a common theme, as was sustainability.
The choice of Mr. Kuwata recognizes the importance of a give and take between different cultures, such as Savile Row and Japan, as well as the multipurpose functionality of Setchu garments, said Delphine Arnault, Dior’s chief executive and eldest daughter of the LVMH founder. , Bernard Arnault, who conceived the award. A ribbed jumper, for example, could be unbuttoned to become both a vest and a cardigan; another jacket folded into a little packable square, like origami.
The winner was chosen by eight of LVMH’s star designers, including Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri and Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson, as well as three senior LVMH executives.
“It’s beautiful to feel seen,” Magliano said of his Karl Lagerfeld award, comparing winning to “a coronation.”
Kuwata said meeting the designer jury was like meeting the pantheon of “Greek gods.”
Background: LVMH is a prince maker
LVMH is the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, with more than 75 brands, including Dior, Louis Vuitton and Celine. The award was established in 2014 to broaden the understanding of where fashion originates and to support emerging talent at a time when establishing an independent business is increasingly difficult. Any designer under the age of 40 who has produced at least two ready-to-wear collections can apply. This year, 2,400 designers from around the world entered, and there were nine finalists.
So far, the LVMH jury has a pretty good track record in identifying talent. Past winners include Nensi Dojaka, the Albanian designer whose deconstructed lingerie aesthetic captured the post-pandemic trend of dressing nude; Simon Porte Jacquemus, whose label, Jacquemus, has become the avatar of modern clothing on the Côte d’Azur; and Grace Wales Bonner, the British designer whose work draws from her Jamaican heritage and who is often considered a candidate for creative director positions at major brands.
Mr Kuwata, 39, who is based in Milan, graduated from Central Saint Martins in London and worked at Givenchy, Gareth Pugh and Edun before founding his own line in 2020.
What’s next: Expand the business
Each of the winning designers already has a plan for their windfall.
Ms Pelipas said she would use her money to create software that would allow her brand and others to industrialize dead stock production at scale. Mr. Magliano said that she would use her money to expand his design team.
Mr Kuwata said he would first use his award to find office space. Then, he said, he wanted to branch out into accessories and create his own e-commerce business.
The goal, he said, “is to be a heritage company, to be like one of the maisons” of LVMH.
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