Marine Serre Wins LVMH Prize

French Belgian designer Marine Serre has won the LVMH Prize for Young Designers, as announced at a ceremony today at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.

Handed the award by Rihanna, Serre won the €300,000 grant in addition to a year-long mentorship.

Serre, whom currently works at Balenciaga, was up against seven other finalists - including British talent Molly Goddard - all of whom presented their work to a jury including Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, Karl Lagerfeld, Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière, Marc Jacobs, Loewe artistic director Jonathan Anderson, Céline’s Phoebe Philo and Kenzo designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim.

New York-based label Kozaburo, helmed by Japanese designer Kozaburo Akasaka, known predominantly for his menswear designs in denim, was awarded a Special Prize, earning him a grant of €150,000 and year-long mentorship from the LVMH group.

Speaking about the verdict, Nicolas Ghesquière said it was "quite unanimous", citing her athletic aesthetic and the romanticism and femininity of her collection which he said "really speaks of this generation".

"We all agreed that Marine Serre had an element of creativity and great talent but also a vision for the development of her brand," said the Vuitton creative director. "I mean, it’s only her first season, but it was fascinating to see someone who is 25 and not only very talented but also very pragmatic - that was important for the vote this year."

Fellow judge Carol Lim made reference to Kozaburo's skill too: "the craftsmanship in his collection, his ability to infuse his Japanese heritage - the clothing really stands out."