This is the 3rd year of the LVMH Grand Prix Scholarships at Central Saint Martins – a scheme which supports 5 students through their final year of study. Instigated as part of the LVMH CSM partnership, the scholarships are awarded to 2 students in BA Fashion and 2 students in MA Fashion. The fifth scholarship goes to one prospective MA Fashion Communication student, due to start their one-year long studies in January 2019.
For the selection process, each student presented a portfolio with innovation and sustainability at its core to a panel consisting of Gena Smith from LVMH, Millie de la Valette of Louis Vuitton, Central Saint Martins’ Dean of Academic Programmes Rachel Dickson, LVMH/CSM Director of Sustainability Carole Collet, MA Fashion Course Leader Fabio Piras, BA Fashion Course Leader Sarah Gresty and MA Fashion Communication Course Leader Roger Tredre. The different ideas, skills and techniques employed by the students demonstrate not only their imagination and skill, but also the breadth of the environmental and societal challenges inspiring this generation of designers and artists.
‘It was very inspiring as every year, to meet such an incredibly talented group of students – it gives one much confidence in the future. In particular this year, I was struck by the maturity, clarity of vision and creative talent and potential exhibited by each student. LVMH is proud of the Grand Prix Scholarship and we feel immense honour to be able to award it to this year’s talented group of students. The only regret is that we did not have more to give this year! We look forward to watching these students over the next year and would be pleased to welcome any of them into our Maisons.’
– Gena Smith, SVP Human Resources: Head of Global Executive and Creative Recruitment at LVMH
Here, we take a closer look at the 2018 Scholars and their projects.
Benjamin Benmoyal, LVMH Grand Prix Scholarships 2018. Photo: Liam Leslie
Benjamin Benmoyal
BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Marketing
It Was Better Tomorrow is inspired by Benmoyal’s years in the army. After teaching himself to weave, he created handwoven, sustainable fabrics made of recycled cassette tapes and hand-dyed yarns. These include VHS tapes of his favourite childhood Disney films – to weave his lost youthful naivety into the future. Benmoyal spent his placement year investigating new methods for sustainable fabrics and collaborated with Eve Corrigan, CEO and Artistic Director of French textile company Malhia Kent to create 20 new sustainable fabrics for his final collection.
Sydney Pimbley, LVMH Grand Prix Scholarships 2018. Photo: Liam Leslie
Sydney Pimbley
BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear
Pimbley took her inspiration from her Welsh heritage and her grandparents’ relationship of more than 70 years. Her grandmother Pat is a hoarder who has passed on her wardrobe to her granddaughter. Pimbley has carefully deconstructed and remade the clothes as new garments, reusing fastenings and creating a new cloth out of vintage labels. Pat’s button collection, which is colour-coded and stored in filing cabinets, has also been applied to garments to create abstract imagery.
Constance Blackaller, LVMH Grand Prix Scholarships 2018. Photo: Liam Leslie
Constance Blackaller
MA Fashion
Midcentury Tupperware and other domestic plasticware are the predominant inspiration for Blackaller’s work. In her collection, she translates their simplicity, functionality and shape into synthetic fabrications with a colour palette of saturated pastels and creative pattern-cutting and couture techniques. Cheap fabrics are given the status of silk and new materials are created, producing a new couture where form and fit are the luxury and resilience and functionality come through fabric and construction.
Martin Tual, LVMH Grand Prix Scholarships 2018. Photo: Liam Leslie
Martin Tual
MA Fashion
Previously an LVMH Scholar for the final year of his BA Fashion degree, Tual sees the scholarship as a means to push experimentation and provide creative and exciting perspectives for his final collection. His low energy manufacturing method – ‘neo-knitting’ in his words – results in experimental knit constructions which guide innovative design. A single strip is wound round the body in ‘Mobius stripes’, following curves and allowing freedom of movement. Tual visualises a future where clothes are unisex and his collection caters for people who dress only for themselves.
Daniela Benaim, LVMH Grand Prix Scholarships 2018. Photo Courtesy Benaim
Daniela Benaim
MA Fashion Communication: Fashion Image
Living and working in Venezuela requires Benaim to adapt her design and production approach – working with scarce resources and reuse of clothes is a necessity. Benaim believes that fashion should last, be versatile and transcend seasons. Art, cinema, literature, sociology, psychology, politics, gender bias and feminism and how they interact with fashion inform her practice. She wants to create images that deconstruct the system and reflect on our relationship with clothing – emotionally, physically and environmentally.
“Above all, I am happy to see that despite the sometimes extremely difficult circumstances these young people can live through, energy, passion and creativity are there! May the LVMH Grand Prix Scholarship trigger this creativity to go beyond their imagination…and I hope to recruit them at Louis Vuitton soon.”
– Millie de la Valette, Talent Acquisition Manager at Louis Vuitton
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