Moroccan on Shortlist for Louis Vuitton Young Designer Award

Essaouira – Moroccan-French fashion designer Charaf Tajer has reached the final of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy (LVMH) prize for young fashion designers. Tajer, founder of the men’s fashion brand “Casablanca,” won a place in the final after a showroom presentation in Paris in late February.

Twenty designers presented their work at the Paris showroom, with only seven selected to continue to the next stage of the competition. A jury of 68 industry experts reviewed the young designers’ work before choosing the finalists.

The winner of the LVMH award will receive a $325,000 prize as well as a mentorship with an industry expert to help the lucky designer take their brand to the next level.

Tajer will have the chance to present his designs to a panel of fashion icons including Rihanna, Marc Jacobs, and Maria Grazia on June 5. He will have only ten minutes to impress the panel who will choose the winner of the 2020 LVMH award. 

Founder of the award and executive vice president of Louis Vuitton fashion house Delphine Arnault said the competition this year is tough: “The semi-finalists impressed us with their creativity and their commitment to creating clothes that are respectful to the environment.”

Tajer named his menswear brand after the Moroccan city of Casablanca, where his parents met and fell in love. In an interview with British fashion outlet End, Tajer recalled spending his teenage years in the city.

“During that time I felt that people were living like it was the last day of their lives, every day. The flamboyance of the people living there in the 90s really inspired me – they were all riding motorcycles and wearing silk shirts,” the designer told End.

Tajer takes his inspiration from classic Parisian fashion brands Hermes, Chanel, and Cartier and defines his aesthetic as “the school of beautiful.”

Fans of Tajer’s “Grandad style” menswear will now have to wait until June to see if the designer can walk away with LVMH prize.