Will these two black designers win the $370,000 Louis Vuitton Prize?

The finalists for the 2018 Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Prize have been announced. What’s more exciting is two of the contenders are black.  Samuel Ross and Rushemy Botter are among the contestants vying for $370,000 dollars. The winner will also gain mentorship from LVMH executives.

Samuel Ross is a British designer who founded and self-financed the fashion label, A-COLD-WALL. The line is described as “the curated product of British street culture. It is both a staunch symbol and mercurial component of the clashing of class and environment in the British landscape. Born of the stark subversive brilliance of the underclass, ACW* is expressed and refined by the cerebral sensibilities of the upper sections of society. This amalgamation is materialised through mediums of social commentary, immersive art and cutting-edge streetwear.”

Rushemy Botter is a Curacao native and Netherlands based designer who co-founded his line BOTTER with Lisi Herrebrugh.  BOTTER is a Caribbean inspired line that has been worn by rapper Young Thug and famed model Naomi Campbell.  Botter aims to infuse his Caribbean upbringing in his shows as he did for the Amsterdam Fashion Week last July – by serving traditional Caribbean food.  He says “When I think of floral prints, I think of my grandma’s table back on Curaçao, “She lays down a tablecloth and over these floral prints the whole family is coming together to eat, to tell stories and laugh.”

Luxury brands Dior, Givenchy, Fendi, and Cèline all fall under the LVMH umbrella. The LVMH is an annual award given to a young fashion designer; it was founded in 2013.