Marta Marques, 28, and Paulo Almeida, 29, the Portuguese design duo behind the London-based brand Marques Almeida, were awarded the second annual LVMH prize at Friday afternoon’s ceremony in Paris. The pair was chosen as the top dog (from a group of seven finalists) by a jury comprised of elite LVMH designers, including Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Phoebe Philo and Raf Simons.
.@_MARQUESALMEIDA is the winner of this year’s #LVMHPrize! Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/LmF4Z7Lbe3
— LVMHPrize (@LVMHPrize) May 22, 2015
Presenting the award was Dior spokesperson and face of Miss Dior perfumes, Natalie Portman. The actress made the trek from Cannes to hand over the €300,000 prize (approximately $330,000 at current conversion rates), as well as the year-long mentorship that the duo will receive from the LVMH group. The four-year-old brand, which has been picked up by 85 retailers and already collaborated on a collection for Top Shop, will use its winnings towards creating a “sustainable business.”
See more Cannes: The Red-Carpet Arrivals
At last year’s inaugural awards, where Marques Almeida was a semi-finalist, the top prize was awarded to fellow London-based designer Thomas Tait.
