Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp Fashion Department alum Rushemy Botter has been making all the right moves and waves for a few years now and being an LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers semi-finalist for his label BOTTER is definitely a bigger splash. Out of 1,300 applications from 90 countries, Botter received one of fashion’s most coveted plugs for the work he has done in tandem with BOTTER Head of Atelier and co-founder Lisi Herrebrugh. This is another major prize nomination for Botter, mere months after his H&M Design Award 2018 finalist nod. The label's self-described 'unapologetically black and gender-defying aesthetic' has truly connected with the Zeitgeist and feeds a growing fanbase.
Delphine Arnault, the executive VP of Louis Vuitton who conceptualized the prize, stated that this year’s intent is to bring as much diversity as possible in both designer category as well as styles. Among up-and-coming nominees such as Akiko Aoki and Doublet are more established young brands such as Eckhaus Latta, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY and GmbH. The list of nominees is near equal in gender divide, comprising of 12 women and 14 men.
Different from 2017, when La Cambre Brussels graduate Marine Serre snatched the top prize, womenswear dominates with 8 women’s labels and 6 menswear brands as well as 4 genderless labels entering the fray, and 2 brands focusing on both men’s and women’s attire.
The 300,000-euro main prize will be awarded at the Fondation Louis Vuitton on June 13 during Paris Fashion Week. Sending good vibes on vibes only.
AW18 lookbook images: Mous Lamrabat for BOTTER
