ANDAM reformats for Covid-19 with support for four French-based companies

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Apr 28, 2020

ANDAM, the historic French award for emerging talent, has announced a different format for 2020 due to Covid-19. And the new focus will be very definitely French.
 
Ever since its debut in 1989, when its first winner was the then largely obscure Martin Margiela, ANDAM has garnered a reputation for discovering great future stars. However, in the wake of Covid-19, ANDAM will exceptionally reformat its 2020 edition and redirect the prize money to four diverse designers and creators, who must all be based in France. 
 

As finalists traditionally must present their ideas and collections to the distinguished jury in person, social distancing effectively made any classical competition impossible this year.
 
“Powerful catalyst of the present time, ANDAM needs to be also a strong platform that will
help us anticipate and solve the major stakes raised by this crisis. We have to support and spread all the innovations that could facilitate the emergence of new forms of expressions. Now is the time to reinvent our industry: with the creative talents, the most innovative fashion startups, the brands focusing on the common good which will make us proud. I am convinced that Paris is the best place for this challenge,” said Guillaume Houzé, ANDAM President and board member of the Galeries Lafayette.

ANDAM’s change of direction comes two weeks after the LVMH Prize announced there would be no final this year, and instead decided to spread its prize money into lots of €40,000 to be attributed to its eight finalists.
 
At ANDAM, the total prize money of €500,000 will be spread between four designers in the following manner: a total of €350,000 will be given to two previous ANDAM finalists or winners, provided they be French companies and own the majority of their brands. One endowment of €200,000 will go to support an established structure generating more than €10 million annual turnover; whereas a second will go to a company with revenues of between one and ten million euros.
 
Thirdly, the Pierre Bergé Prize of €100,000 will be awarded to “a young French company that offers an innovative creative vision and/or business model.” The company must also be French, independent and have at least one commercial season, as well as annual sales of €1 million as of 2019.

 
Finally, there will be an Innovation Prize of €50,000 to be given to an entrepreneur or start-up, either French or international, to develop a project in France offering innovative or technological solutions in the extended fields of fashion and design. 
 
“By seeking the new business models and innovative technologies, ANDAM commits itself
and mobilizes itself to support the initiatives absolutely necessary to the mutation of our industry. I am very grateful and would like to thank the French ministry of Culture, DÉFI, and all our sponsors, which all accepted to maintain their contribution this year to offer a committed and vital support to the talents who will ensure the reinvention and continuity of the fashion industry,” stressed Nathalie Dufour, Founder and Executive Director of ANDAM.
 
Candidates can apply now online on www.andam.fr up until June 8, 2020, while the jury will be held virtually on July 2 as to select the four winners, determined by a vote of absolute majority.
 
The 2020 jury is composed of 18 noted fashion executives and includes Riccardo Bellini of Chloé; Xavier Clergerie of Who’s Next; Guillaume de Seynes of Hermès; Bruno Pavlovsky of Chanel; François-Henri Pinault of Kering; Clarisse Reille of DEFI; Renzo Rosso of Diesel; Nadja Swarovski; and Sidney Toledano of LVMH.