Belgian designer Julie Kegels has won the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, receiving funding and a year of mentoring.
Belgian designer Julie Kegels has won the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, receiving funding and a year of mentoring. Lii and Yoshita 1967 took the other principal awards in the competition.
Fashion may seem far from boating, but travel wardrobes increasingly move between practical daytime clothing and more expressive evenings ashore. Young designers can influence that wider style conversation long before their names become mainstream.
The main prize goes to Julie Kegels
Kegels was recognised for a womenswear label built around individuality and layered contemporary dressing. The award includes €400,000 and mentoring from LVMH specialists.
Prize support can help a small label build production and business systems as well as creative work. It does not guarantee commercial success.
Two other designers take major awards
Lii received the Karl Lagerfeld Prize, while Yoshita 1967 received the Savoir-Faire Prize. The three winners represent different approaches to clothing and craft.
That variety is useful for travellers who are interested in design beyond familiar luxury houses. Emerging labels often experiment with proportion and materials in ways larger brands cannot.
Keep the boating wardrobe practical
Fashion pieces work best ashore, while wet decks and line handling still call for clothing designed around safety and movement. A small change of clothes can bridge the two parts of the day.
LVMH's official prize announcement and imagery support this feature. Leisure Boat Guide covers the awards as style news rather than buying advice.
Source
Official source