While the fashion industry takes a much-needed, nine-day breather between New York and London, LVMH has taken that opportunity to unveil the 20 semi-finalists for its much-coveted 2025 prize. Announced via the award’s Instagram page this afternoon, the list is packed from top to bottom with design talent hailing from a total of 15 different countries, some of which have not been recognised by the prize before.

First up, flying the flag for the UK are Tolu Coker, Torisheju and Steve O Smith, with their London-based, namesake labels. Other brands you might recognise on the list include Irish designer Sinead O’Dwyer, who’ll present her AW25 collection next week in London, as well as Denmark’s Nicklas Skovgaard, who just debuted his latest collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week, plus the Paris-based brand Zomer, founded by Danial Aitouganov and Dazed’s fashion director Imruh Asha.

Elsewhere, Cynthia Merhej’s label Renaissance Renaissance returns to the shortlist after competing for the prize back in 2016, as does Soshi Otsuki’s label Soshiotsuki, which competed more recently in 2021. As well as that, Ghanaian label Boyedoe, Saudi Arabian brand KML, and Egyptian designer Yasmin Mansour are all representing their respective countries for the first time in LVMH Prize history.

“As the LVMH Prize steps into a new decade, it is my honour once more to welcome some exceptional talents,” said Christian Dior CEO Delphine Arnault of the announcement. “With this 2025 edition, we are seeing several compelling trends, from a renewed interest in tailoring, to handcrafted embellishments and bold occasion dressing.”

If successful, the winner of the Prize will bag a €400,000 cash injection into their brand and a year-long mentorship from a top LVMH team. Despite that, second place isn’t too shabby either: winners of both additional awards – the Karl Lagerfeld Prize and the Savoir-Faire Prize – will win €200,000 and their own LVMH mentor teams too.

See below for the full list of LVMH Prize 2025 semi-finalists

Alainpaul by Alain Paul, France

All-In by Benjamin Barron, United States

Boyedoe by David Boye-Doe Kusi, Ghana

Francesco Murano, Italy

Josh Tafoya, United States

KML by Ahmed Hassan, Saudi Arabia

Meruert Tolegen, United States

Mfpen by Sigurd Bank, Denmark

Nicklas Skovgaard, Denmark

Penultimate by Xiang Gao, China

Pillings by Ryota Murakami, Japan

Renaissance Renaissance by Cynthia Merhej, Lebanon

Sinead O’Dwyer, Ireland

Soshiotsuki by Soshi Otsuki, Japan

Steve O Smith, United Kingdom

Tolu Coker, United Kingdom

Torisheju by Torishéju Dumi, United Kingdom

Yasmin Mansour, Egypt

Young N Sang by Sang Lim Lee and Youngshin Hong, South Korea

Zomer by Danial Aitouganov, the Netherlands