by Paris — Christopher Esber, 3.Pardis and Meryll Rogge are among the six finalists for the grand prize of the ANDAM Awards 2024, joining an eclectic field that reflects the cultural diversity of the guest jury assembled by Anthony Vaccarello, who will mentor a winner the fashion award for its 35th edition.
Sydney-based Esber has won fans including Zendaya and Dua Lipa with her minimal summer styles. He is up for the grand prize, which comes with a cash award of 300,000 euros, less than a year after his debut at Paris Fashion Week.
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The label 3.Pardis, founded by the French designer Emeric Tchatchoua, in Canada, presented its first fashion show in Paris in 2023 after 10 years in business. The genderless line, known for its signature dove motif that symbolizes peace and unity, has been worn by the likes of Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber.
Rogge, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, launched her unisex label in 2019 after stints at Marc Jacobs and Dries Van Noten, and is known for pieces in bold and unexpected combinations of masculine and feminine elements.
They will be joined by Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, who showed her first collection last year and who has earned praise for her conceptual pieces that play with ordinary objects and proportions. The Brussels-born and bred La Cambre Mode(s) graduate cut her teeth at Givenchy and Balenciaga before quickly striking out on her own.
Rounding out the shortlist are Ruohan, the label founded by Chinese designer Ruohan Nie in 2020, and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, a brand with roots in London nightlife that celebrates its 10th.th anniversary this year.
Candidates for the ANDAM main prize can be of any nationality but must own or establish a French company during the same year they receive the fellowship. ANDAM will award a second place Special Prize, with a cash award of 100,000 euros, to one of the finalists in the ceremony, scheduled for June 27.
The three nominees for the Pierre Bergé Prize, worth 100,000 euros, are Boyarovskaya, created by designer Maria Boyarovskaya and fashion photographer Artem Kononenko; Pièces Uniques, a Paris-based clothing brand founded by Edmond Luu, and Vaillant, designed by Alice Vaillant, known for lingerie-inspired camisole tops and slippers worn by the likes of Kylie Jenner and Rita Ora.
Boyarovskaya and Vaillant were shortlisted for the Pierre Bergé Prize in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Competitors for the Accessories Prize, worth 100,000 euros, are French jewelry brand Hugo Kreit, owned by Hugo Kreit and Nordine Makhloufi, whose futuristic designs have been worn by rappers including Cardi B and Doja Cat; Maeden, a leather goods brand based in Amsterdam under the creative direction of Christian Heikoop, and Sarahlevy, founded by Belgian designer Sarah Levy, are known for their avant-garde designs like the chest bag, consisting of a fetish-style leather bra.
ANDAM founder and managing director Nathalie Dufour noted that almost half of the finalists are women. “That’s interesting because it means things are evolving and more and more female entrepreneurs are starting their own brands,” she told WWD.
Besides the fact that several of the finalists are graduates of La Cambre, Vaccarello’s alma mater, she said the guest jury chosen by Saint Laurent’s creative director cast a wide net.
“The members of the jury are completely independent and have very eclectic tastes,” said Dufour.
Rosé Blackpink, model and singer Carla Bruni, and actress and musician Charlotte Gainsbourg are among the 13 guest members chosen by Vaccarello, who won the award in 2011.
“It’s a full-circle moment to be on the ANDAM jury with my friend Anthony Vaccarello, who I proudly supported when he won 13 years ago,” said model Anja Rubik, another of the guest jurors. “I’m looking for finalists who bring the same passion and innovation that Anthony brought.”
The guest members join a standing jury of senior representatives of the award’s corporate sponsors, representing a wide range of the fashion industry.
Fashion awards have become an even more important source of funding and mentorship as small brands grapple with a slowdown in luxury spending that is affecting the wholesale market, leaving many independent brands on the brink.
The Vampire’s Wife and Mara Hoffman are among the brands that have recently indicated they will cease operations.
“The brands in this selection have shown a certain amount of maturity, whether in their location, community or sales network,” said Dufour.
“It’s not just emerging brands that are competing for the grand prize, so it may be a way to support established brands that are facing obstacles to growth due to the complex geopolitical environment,” she said.
The 12 finalists will have access to dead stock materials provided by Balenciaga and Longchamp, while OTB will hold a workshop on best practices in sustainable design, and WSN and Première Classe will showcase the winners at their trade shows.
Google will provide access to coaches to help the brands develop their digital presence, while online retailer Mytheresa will provide a working session with members of its digital leadership, as well as visibility on its social media channels. Swarovski, Amarach and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum will also provide advice and expertise.
Created in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour, with the support of the French Ministry of Culture and the DEFI, a body that promotes the development of the French fashion industry, and with the late Pierre Bergé as its president, ANDAM is a springboard for would-be designers . go on to achieve international recognition.
Previous winners include Viktor&Rolf, Christophe Lemaire, Jeremy Scott and Marine Serre. French designer Louis-Gabriel Nouchi won the 2023 prize, while Ester Manas and Duran Lantink won second place.
Balenciaga, Bureau Betak, Chanel, Chloé, Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Galeries Lafayette, Google, Hermès, Kering, Lacoste, Longchamp, LVMH AGUSAM — the French acronym for the National Association for the Development of Fashion Arts — supports Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, L’Oréal Paris, Meta, Mytheresa, OTB, Premiere Classe, Saint Laurent, Swarovski and Tomorrow.
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