Thebe Magugu Takes Home the Prestigious 2019 LVMH Prize
The South African designer is set to receive a year of mentorship.
South African designer Thebe Magugu has been announced as the winner of the 2019 LVMH Prize. Based in Johannesburg, the 26-year-old’s work thoroughly stood out to the star-studded jury, the jury included names such as Maria Grazia Chiuri, Clare Waight Keller, Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière and others.
Magugu will be awarded €300,000 EUR (approximately $330,000 USD) in addition to a year of mentorship from the judges. As a Louis Vuitton ambassador, Alicia Vikander presented Magugu with the prestigious award. She shared: “The talent in this room is quite simply stupefying, and the finalists represent the future of fashion.” The Prix Karl Lagerfeld, named after the late design titan who previously was a member of the award’s jury went to Hed Mayner. He will receive a grant of €150,000 ($165,000 USD) and a year of mentorship from the LVMH group.
In total, over 1,700 individuals from 100 countries submitted applications to the LVMH Prize. Notably, according to HYPEBEAST, Magugu studied Fashion & Apparel Design at Lisof Fashion School in Johannesburg. He explored photography prior to focusing on his womenswear line. His apparel “blends conceits of gender, heritage and dramatic silhouettes into each collection.”
While you’re here, take a look at the news surrounding LVMH’s pledges to donate €10 Million EUR to fight the Amazon fires.
