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The National
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Meet the three Arab designers shortlisted for the LVMH Prize 2025
Three designers from the Middle East are among the 20 shortlisted names for the 2025 LVMH Prize. The annual award is handed out across three categories. The Young Fashion Designers winner will receive a €400,000 endowment and a year of mentorship. The Karl Lagerfeld Prize winner will be awarded €200,000 and a year of mentorship, and the Savoir-Faire Prize recipient will receive a €200,000 grant along with mentorship. Now in its 12th year, the prize has thrown a spotlight on rising talent, with past winners including SS Daley, Ahluwalia, Grace Wales Bonner and Marques'Almeida. The 20 semi-finalists will present their work to LVMH jury members at the Louis Vuitton Foundation at Paris Fashion Week, from which the winners will be selected. Here's a look at the three designers from the region who are in the running. Launched in 2014, the eponymous Qatari label is one of the first homegrown women's luxury labels in the country. It creates elevated womenswear described as pret-a-couture, or ready couture. Utilising deft tailoring, bold silhouettes and roomy, architectural shapes, the brand is rapidly making a name for itself. After winning the evening wear category at the 2024 Fashion Trust Arabia awards, Yasmin Mansour is aiming for further recognition at LVMH. Lebanese designer Cynthia Merhej founded Renaissance Renaissance. The brand is the product of a strong fashion heritage – Merhej is a third-generation couturier, and combines rich femininity with a deep-rooted sense of rebellion. Its pretty pieces feature delicate elements such as bows, ties and frills that nod to historical notions of what defines 'womanhood'. Look closer, however, and the contemporary shapes and cuts are challenging and new. Frilly mini skirts, ruched tops, bulbous skirts and sheer, tiered dresses are some of the pieces that make this Beirut label beloved of the cool girl crowd, including Chloe Sevigny, while never losing wearability. Eager to protect the unique dressmaking skills of Beirut, every piece is made in the Lebanese capital. Merhej was chosen for Net-A-Porter's The Vanguard global mentorship in 2021, the same year she was a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize. Will she strike it lucky the second time around? KML is a Saudi menswear label founded in 2022 by Ahmed and Razan Hassan. The designers have built their creations on hours of research into how humans have dressed through history and how meanings have distilled through time. This has resulted in collections that challenge the notions of contemporary fashion and what it signifies. Some labels could lose themselves in such highbrow thinking but KML retains a keen eye for the wearable, with richly draped wrap tunics, wide-legged trousers and tops with discreet cut-out panels. Clever, intriguing and thought-provoking, it is little wonder that when stylist Law Roach attended 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab in Riyadh, he did so wearing KML.
CairoScene
19-02-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Meet the Middle Eastern Designers Shortlisted for the 2025 LVMH Prize
The designers will showcase their collections in Paris, vying for a EUR 400,000 grant for the LVMH Prize winner. The LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers has long been a launchpad for emerging talent, highlighting designers who are shaping the future of fashion. Now in its 12th year, the 2025 edition continues this legacy with a highly competitive field—2,300 designers from across the globe applied, each vying for a place on one of the industry's most prestigious platforms. From thousands of applicants, 20 semi-finalists from 15 countries remain. Among them, three designers from the Arab world - Cynthia Merhej (Lebanon), Yasmin Mansour (Egypt & Qatar), Ahmed and Razan Hassan (Saudi Arabia) - are gaining attention. On March 5th and 6th, these designers will present their collections in Paris, competing before the public and a panel of industry leaders. The LVMH Prize winner receives a EUR 400,000 grant and a year of mentorship. The Karl Lagerfeld Prize runner-up is awarded EUR 200,000 and mentorship, while the Savoir-Faire Prize grants EUR 200,000 and mentorship to a designer specializing in craftsmanship. Renaissance Renaissance | Lebanon Founded by third-generation couturier Cynthia Merhej, Renaissance Renaissance merges her family's rich sartorial heritage with a modern, distinctive creative vision. Since launching the label in 2016, Merhej has remained deeply connected to her roots, working alongside local artisans and family-run workshops to craft heirloom-quality pieces that celebrate craftsmanship and heritage. Yasmin Mansour | Egypt & Qatar Since founding her namesake label in 2014, Yasmin Mansour has built a reputation for sculptural silhouettes and intricate craftsmanship that honors artisanal traditions. From her Qatar-based studio, she explores texture, pleating, and bold contrasts, shaping a design language that balances elegance with innovation. KML | Saudi Arabia Founded in 2022 by siblings Ahmed and Razan Hassan, KML bridges the past and present through concept-driven designs rooted in historical research. With a deep appreciation for the evolution of human dress, the label reinterprets heritage through a minimalist, modern lens, creating thoughtful pieces that connect tradition with contemporary relevance.
