In March, 20 hopeful designers gathered in Paris to present their work to the LVMH Prize Committee of Experts. Now, after careful review by over 80 industry veterans, that number has been whittled down to the final nine. The 2026 LVMH Prize Finalists are: Colleen Allen by Colleen Allen from the United States; De Pino by Gabriel Figueiredo from France; Institution by Galib Gassanoff from Georgia; Julie Kegels by Julie Kegels from Belgium; Lii by Zane Li from China; Petra Fagerström by Petra Fagerström from Sweden; Ponte by Harry Pontefract from the United Kingdom; THEVXLLEY by Daniel del Valle Fernandez from Spain; and Yoshita 1967 by Anil Padia from Kenya.
“I am delighted to announce the names of the nine finalists for the 2026 LVMH Prize,” said Delphine Arnault, the chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture and founder of the LVMH Prize, in a statement. “This shortlist illustrates the Prize’s reach, with designers from the United States, Europe, China and, for the first time, Kenya. Each of the finalists has demonstrated a singular creative vision while offering highly sophisticated interpretations of traditional craftsmanship.”
The 2026 edition of the Prize brings with it several new jury members. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Loewe, Camille Miceli of Emilio Pucci, Michael Rider of Celine, and Pietro Beccari, the Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton are all first-timers; they join Jonathan Anderson, Sarah Burton, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquière, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Nigo, Phoebe Philo, Pharrell Williams, Jean-Paul Claverie, Sidney Toledano, and Arnault. “I am very grateful to our Committee of Experts for their commitment to emerging talent, [and] I warmly congratulate the finalists and look forward to welcoming them to the LVMH Prize final, which will be held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris,” Arnault added.
The final will take place on September 4, when the jury will choose the winner of the LVMH Prize, the Karl Lagerfeld Prize, and the Savoir-Faire Prize. The 2025 winners were Soshiotsuki, Steve O Smith, and Torishéju, respectively.
