Thebe Magugu Wins 2019 LVMH Prize
The young designer just made major fashion history
26-year old Thebe Magugu was announced the winner of the highly sought-after 2019 edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers today. In addition to winning, the South African designer now holds the title of the first-ever African-born recipient of the prestigious award.
With a pool of around 1,700 applicants hailing from over 100 different countries, participants enter their work for an opportunity to walk home with the grand prize of €300,000 euros plus a year of mentorship from experts at the house-name brands under the LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy luxury conglomerate. Actress Alicia Vikander announced the winner at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, France this morning in the presence of the deciding board members Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière, Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy, Loewe artistic director Jonathan Anderson and Berluti’s Kris Van Assche.
Originally from the small town of Kimberley, Magugu moved to the capital city Johannesburg to study fashion design, fashion photography and fashion media at LISOF. Since graduating, the designer focuses in the field of women’s ready-to-wear with a contemporary twist. Magugu devotes his clothes entirely to the women wearing them juxtaposing novelty and culture in sleek ways of presenting the modern everyday woman. Magugu will join a long line of talented prior recipients exercising their innovations in fashion as the future keyholders of the industry.