Past winners of the ANDAM Award have included Gareth Pugh, Giles Deacon, Anthony Vaccarello and last year’s Iris van Herpen, so 2015’s contestants have a lot to live up to, but we’re pretty certain they’re all capable.
This year the nominees are Vetements (with edgy new Paris designer Demna Gvasalia), Pallas Paris, Anrealage, up and coming menswear designer, Pigalle, and tattoed i-D fave Umit Benan.
The main prize of €370,000 will be awarded at Paris Fashion Week this September and also includes a one-year mentorship from Chanel President of Global Fashion Bruno Pavlovsky, a capsule collection with thecorner.com, and 10,000 euros worth of Swarovski crystals to be used in the winners upcoming collections. It will be judged by a panel including Haider Ackermann, Pierre Bergé, Francois-Henri Pinault, and Style.com’s Nicole Phelps
A financial endowment and mentorship from Nadja Swarovski is also up for grabs for the winner of the accessory designer category, which includes Charlotte Chesnais, Hugo Matha and Annelise Michelson, and there is also a prize for new brands showing for the first time, of which the nominees are Étienne Deroeux, Gauchere, Jour/ne and Léa Peckre.