LONDON, United Kingdom — Today, BoF can reveal the eight finalists for the 2015 LVMH Prize, an award set up in 2014 that grants a young fashion designer €300,000 and a year of mentorship from executives at the luxury conglomerate.

The finalists are: Arthur Arbesser, Coperni, Craig Green, Faustine Steinmetz, Jacquemus, Marques' Almeida, Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh and Vetements.

The selection was made by a panel of forty-five international fashion experts, including renowned fashion critic Cathy Horyn, Vogue China editor Angelica Cheung and Linda Fargo, senior vice president of Bergdorf Goodman, who met the 26 shortlisted designers in Paris earlier this month.

Of the eight finalists, two are menswear brands: Craig Green and Virgil Abloh. Meanwhile, French label Jacquemus, designed by Simon Porte Jacquemus, is back for a second time, having been selected as a finalist in 2014.

Three of the designers are based in Paris. Craig Green, Faustine Steinmetz; and Marques’ Almeida are based in London. Arthur Arbesser and Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh, both based in Milan, complete the list.

"The designers who have entered the LVMH Prize 2015 have truly surprised and impressed us with their diversity, their ideas and enthusiasm. Although very young, they're all extremely talented," said Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and daughter of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, in a statement. "The level of the competition is so high, I have no doubt we will see some of the semi-finalists again in the years to come."

The winner of the 2015 Prize will be announced on May 22nd at the Louis Vuitton Foundation after deliberation by a jury comprised of nine creative directors from LVMH-owned fashion houses, as well as Delphine Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie, advisor to Bernard Arnault and head of corporate philanthropy for LVMH, and Pierre-Yves Roussel, chairman and CEO of the LVMH Fashion Group.

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