The Milan-based Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata has been declared the winner of the 2023 LVMH Prize. He will be earning a year of mentorship and a €400,000 cash prize.
The final of the tenth edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers was held on 7th June 2023 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The eight artistic directors of houses of the LVMH Group: Jonathan Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquière, Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones, Stella McCartney, Nigo and Silvia Venturini Fendi, as well as Delphine Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie and Sidney Toledano, were present.
Among the nine finalists, the Jury awarded the LVMH Prize to Satoshi Kuwata, 39, a Japanese designer and founder of the genderless brand Setchu. The actress Gal Gadot presented the LVMH Prize to Satoshi Kuwata.
About the designer
Setchu, born in Japan, worked for the Savile Row before studying at Central Saint Martins. He later worked for Givenchy and the North Face, with a “360 design” perspective.
He said, “I have wanted to do my own label since I was a kid. That was a journey.”
Kuwata said meeting the designer jury was, in fact, like meeting the pantheon of “Greek gods.”
Setchu Kuwata created his brand in Milan in 2020. The 39-year-old evidently sees fashion as a bridge between Japan and the West. Sophie Brocart, Patou CEO and LVMH prize mentoring director praised the “cultural dimension” of the brand and clever tailoring.
Evidently, Kuwata’s pattern-making skills are visible in the origami constructions of some of his garments and on his bias-cut dresses. His carefully thought-out garments are made in Italy and include kimono-inspired tailoring and knitwear that reminds of fishermen’s garments.
The Award
Before awarding the winners, Delphine Arnault, CEO of Christian Dior Couture and the force behind the LVMH Prize, said, “The LVMH prize has grown a lot since 2013. It has distinguished 20 designers from all around the world. Today we are looking at the future. It’s my pleasure to announce that we have decided to increase the endowment to €400,000 (up from €300,000) for the winner of the LVMH Prize and €200,000 (up from €150,000) for the winners of the Karl Lagerfeld prize.”
“His philosophy is very precise. It is evident that he mixes what he has learnt to create something completely new,” Dior artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri noted.
