Two African labels — Iamisigo and Yoshita 1967 — have been named among the 20 semi-finalists for the 2026 LVMH Prize, one of the most prestigious awards for emerging fashion designers globally.
Their inclusion signals the continued rise of African design voices on the international stage, following a strong lineage of finalists and winners from the continent in recent years. In 2019, South African designer Thebe Magugu made history as the first African designer to win the LVMH Prize, bringing global attention to a new wave of design emerging from the continent.
In 2020, Sindiso Khumalo was named a finalist, recognised for her textile-led collections rooted in narrative and historical research. The following year, Lukhanyo Mdingi was awarded the Karl Lagerfeld Prize, celebrated for his deeply collaborative, craft-driven approach.
Iamisigo is the label of Nigerian designer Bubu Ogisi, whose work is rooted in deep research into indigenous African textile traditions. Rather than approaching fashion as seasonal trend production, Ogisi treats it as an anthropological and material practice. The brand collaborates with artisan communities across the continent, working with techniques such as hand-weaving, natural dyeing, raffia construction, leatherwork, and bark-cloth processes. Many of the textiles are developed through field research, with Ogisi working directly with craftspeople to preserve and evolve traditional methods.
Iamisigo via @lvmhprize IG
Yoshita 1967 via @lvmhprize IG
Yoshita 1967 is a Kenyan womenswear label founded by designer Anil Padia, self-described as “an exploration of memory through craft.” Both brands operate firmly within a space of material research and cultural storytelling, in which craft is a vehicle for expressing locality, memory, and inherited knowledge. Rooted in Nigeria and Kenya respectively, their practices reflect a broader movement across the continent; one that showcases African sartorial consciousness as a repository of living craft traditions.
The LVMH Prize, founded by Delphine Arnault, chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, offers significant financial and strategic support to young designers, and is regarded as one of the biggest strategic launch pads for designers around the world. The overall winner receives a €400,000 endowment and a year of mentorship from LVMH experts. The Karl Lagerfeld Prize and the Savoir-Faire Prize each come with €200,000 and the same year-long mentorship programme.
As reported by Vogue, the 20 semi-finalists will present their collections at a showroom in Paris on March 4 and 5, 2026, where they will be evaluated by the LVMH Prize Committee of Experts, made up of more than 80 industry specialists. From March 4 to 8, the public will also be able to discover the designers and vote online via the LVMH Prize platform. Eight designers will advance to the final.
As the LVMH Prize moves into its semi-final stage, the continued presence of African designers marks another step in the long-overdue recognition of the continent’s fashion as a vital force within the global industry. We await the finals with bated breath!
Written by Holly Beaton
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