Luxury fashion keeps searching for its next generation of voices amid shifting markets and rising independent labels.
On Friday in Paris, that search landed firmly on Belgian designer Julie Kegels.
Jennifer Lawrence presented the 2026 LVMH Prize Grand Prize to Kegels at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The win brings €400,000 and a full year of mentorship from LVMH experts. Kegels, 27, founded her eponymous label in 2024 after graduating from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
“I’m speechless,” Kegels said after accepting the award. She then thanked nearly every member of her team by name. Her work explores feminine identity through practical yet surreal pieces. Think tailored suits with hidden shorts or unexpected fabric mixes drawn from personal memories and daily life.
Stars have already noticed. Rosalía and Dua Lipa have worn her designs. The label sells across Europe, Asia and the United States despite its short history. Kegels becomes the first Belgian winner of the prize.
Nine finalists showed their collections that morning to a heavyweight jury. It included Jonathan Anderson, Phoebe Philo, Nicolas Ghesquière, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Pharrell Williams and Delphine Arnault, the prize founder and Dior CEO. Other jurors spanned LVMH houses and beyond.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas presented the Karl Lagerfeld Prize to Zane Li of Lii. The New York-based designer, born in Chongqing and an FIT graduate, blends sportswear with couture precision. That award carries €200,000 plus mentorship covering everything from sustainability to brand management.
Urassaya Sperbund handed the Savoir-Faire Prize to Anil Padia of Yoshita 1967. The Kenya-based label, the first from that country to reach the finals, centers handcraft and artisan collaborations rooted in Padia’s Kenyan-Indian heritage. It also comes with €200,000 and a year of guidance. Sperbund sat on the jury as well.
Lawrence, a longtime Dior ambassador, handled the top prize presentation. She moved through the space in a sharp tailored look that fit the polished setting. Chopra Jonas, another Dior face, shared the presenter duties. The event spotlighted jury selections drawn from the designers’ recent collections.
Previous winners such as Marine Serre, Grace Wales Bonner and Ellen Hodakova Larsson show how the prize can accelerate careers. Kegels now joins that short list with concrete support to scale production, expand markets and refine operations. The mentorship draws directly from LVMH’s internal expertise across its houses.
The broader field remains competitive. More than 2,400 designers applied this cycle. The nine finalists spanned continents and approaches, from sculptural womenswear to genderless proposals and deep craft focus. LVMH continues using the prize to spot talent early and fold it into the luxury ecosystem without absorbing the brands outright.
For Kegels the immediate next step involves turning the cash and coaching into tangible growth. Her hybrid pieces already connect with wearers who refuse single identities. The prize money and advice should help push that vision further while keeping the independent spirit intact.
Industry watchers will track how the three winners deploy their resources over the coming year. Mentorship often covers manufacturing, legal, marketing and sustainability issues that sink young labels. Success here could signal continued strength for the prize as a launchpad.
Lawrence’s presence added star power that drew extra eyes to the emerging names. In a season of big creative director shifts across major houses, the focus on fresh independent work feels timely. Kegels leaves Paris with validation, capital and connections. The rest of the fashion calendar will show what she builds next.
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