Ellen Hodakova Larsson, upcycling specialist, wins the LVMH Prize 2024

LVMH describes her as a “visionary in her field”. The 32-year-old Swede Ellen Hodakova Larsson, founder of the Hodakova house, is the lucky winner of the LVMH 2024 Prize, the final of which was held this Tuesday, September 10, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Among the 2,500 candidates, only eight, including seven Europeans and one American, had been elected in the semi-final last April.

“I believe that we connect to a piece on a deeper level if it has a story and possesses beauty and sentimental value,” asserts the young designer. It was in Stockholm, in 2021, that her eponymous brand was born under a particular business model. As part of an ecological and sustainable approach, the young woman upcycles valuable objects and clothes to give them a new life in the world of haute-couture. Dresses lined with spoons, bags sewn from belt buckles, tops made from sculpted silver trays and dresses and shoes made from horse-riding competition cockades are just some of the Hodakova pieces that won over the jury's votes.

“I was delighted to welcome the members of this impressive Jury to the beautiful setting of the Fondation Louis Vuitton. This year, we awarded the LVMH Prize to Hodakova, who, with her upcycled clothes and accessories, shows remarkable creativity and vision.” said Delphine Arnault, member of the jury. Ellen Hodakova Larsson received the LVMH Prize from Natalie Portman, who came specially for the occasion. This year's LVMH Prize featured some of fashion's biggest names, including Jonathan Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquière, Marc Jacobs, Nigo, Phoebe Philo, Silvia Venturini Fendi and Pharrell Williams, Jean-Paul Claverie and Sidney Toledan.

In addition to the young Swede, two other talents shone and were rewarded by the jury. Duran Lantink, the 36-year-old Dutch designer, won the Karl Lagerfeld Prize for his women's, men's and unisex ready-to-wear label. And the women's ready-to-wear brand Standing Ground, created by Irish designer Michael Stewart, won the Prix du Savoir-faire. The two winners each received 200,000 euros and a year's mentoring from the LVMH team. Michael Stewart will also benefit from the support of LVMH's Métiers d'Excellence through a collaboration with Maison Vermont, a specialist in embroidery, as well as 50,000 euros in embellishments for his next collection.