DUBAI: The votes are in. French-Moroccan designer Charaf Tajer, who is behind fashion label Casablanca, has been selected as one of the finalists for the 2020 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, following a showroom presentation in Paris in February.
The Paris-based menswear designer will go head-to-head with the other seven candidates – narrowed down from 20 semi-finalists by the 68-member panel of experts – for the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy Prize $325,000 grant and mentorship. They are: Priya Ahluwalia of Ahluwalia, Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena behind Chopova Lowena, Nicholas Daley, Peter Do, Sindiso Khumalo, Supriya Lele and Tomo Koizumi.
In a press release, Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and the founder of the prize, said, “this year, once more, the semi-finalists impressed us with their creativity and their commitment to creating clothes that are respectful of the environment… The eight finalists all have in common to be very talented in their respective fields and to aspire to enhance know-how.”
Tajer will have 10 minutes to present his most recent collection at the Fondation Louis Vuitton on June 5. Judges, including Rihanna, Virgil Abloh, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière and others will discuss the candidates, then choose a winner.
