Delphine Arnault and Hoyeon: "Fashion is not a sprint but a marathon"

On a morning in March, at the Parisian headquarters of LVMH, avenue Montaigne, a firework of flashes welcomes Hoyeon, the new muse of Louis Vuitton.

His name is accompanied by an extraordinary notoriety.

A South Korean model with a pearly complexion and slender legs, this 27-year-old beauty is best known for being the star of the most followed series of all time,

.

This South Korean creation for Netflix tells the crazy story of over-indebted people who agree to compete in deadly challenging children's games - in the hope of winning a life-changing prize.

A few days before our meeting, Hoyeon won the best actress award at the SAG Awards (Screen Actors Guild) in Los Angeles.

“It's my first role, and this reward was unexpected!

I am proud.

Just as I am touched to be here, in Paris, to meet the talents who are shaping the future of fashion.”

At his side, Delphine Arnault is radiant.

The deputy general manager of Louis Vuitton invited the actress to join the LVMH Prize as ambassador for the 2022 edition, alongside the panel of influential experts – including Léa Seydoux or the artist Cindy Sherman – who designate the eight finalists of the LVMH Prize.

Every year since its inception in 2014, the award has traveled the planet in search of the next generation of fashion designers,

Read alsoLVMH shifts its watchmaking to the era of recycling

In video,

Squid Game

, the trailer

For this 9th edition, "more than 1900 candidates from all over the world have applied", explains Delphine Arnault.

“This success shows the importance of the LVMH Prize internationally: many young designers say to themselves that it can be decisive for their future.”

Everyone knows that this prize was a springboard for Nensi Dojaka or Marine Serre, who won previous editions.

All hope for such a fate.

"We need so much to be inspired these days, these young fashion designers feed our imaginations," enthuses Hoyeon.

The young actress shares with Delphine Arnault the dream of stimulating creativity.

Happy to meet again, they discuss topics close to their hearts: diversity, the impact of social networks, art and fashion.

A casual conversation.

Miss Figaro.

– Delphine Arnault, why did you choose Hoyeon as ambassador for the LVMH Prize?

– She has a crazy and protean talent.

It only took one role for her to be revealed and rewarded with a prestigious award like the SAG Award!

just had worldwide success: I watched this series, and I found Hoyeon's acting captivating.

In life, she is a young woman with an incisive personality.

She is as beautiful as she is intelligent.

For a long time, Hoyeon has been a source of inspiration for Nicolas Ghesquière.

She already has a history with Louis Vuitton – of which she is now the ambassador.

In 2016, I was caught up in her charisma during a fashion show that we did at Place Vendôme.

Do you remember that, Hoyeon?

That day, we all fell in love!

– It was my first show for Louis Vuitton.

I was 22 years old.

I was not yet an actress and I dreamed of a modeling career.

Catching the eye of Nicolas Ghesquière was one of my aspirations.

I remember the fittings, my emotion.

I always knew that I wanted to put my dreams and my experience at the service of fashion.

What personality traits stood out to you in each other?

– Hoyeon is a fashion icon.

She exudes confidence, while being very human and warm.

This morning, I watched her speak with the semi-finalists for the prize: they were touched to see her take a curious, attentive and benevolent look at their work and the thousand questions asked.

You transmit an optimism that feeds hope!

– Thank you, I take my role very seriously.

Delphine and I exchanged a lot while I discovered the work of these young creators.

She listens to them, always smiling and accessible despite the large number of responsibilities she takes on.

She is a woman of power, but also passionate, very generous.

I admire the energy she displays for this prize.

It's a wonderful project, a way to reach out to younger generations.

By unveiling new talents, the LVMH Prize contributes to the renewal of fashion.

I am also moved to see so many nationalities and countries gathered together.

By unveiling new talents, the LVMH Prize contributes to the renewal of fashion

Hoyeon

Delphine Arnault, what memories do you have of previous winners you have supported, such as Nensi Dojaka, Thebe Magugu or Marine Serre?

– Marine Serre was only on her second collection when she won the LVMH Prize in 2017, and now her brand is recognized around the world.

His work already stood out from the rest.

She has this visionary side of combining fashion with the human, beauty with upcycling.

Nensi Dojaka was surprised to have won last year, yet her creations are now worn by stars like Dua Lipa and Rihanna.

I am also delighted with the success of Thebe Magugu.

His vision is very creative, connected to our times and infused with avant-garde lines.

– You must be very proud to have revealed these artists!

– It's moving to see them evolve.

It is our responsibility to identify the talents of tomorrow and to help them develop.

The winner of the prize wins 300,000 euros, but more importantly, for more than a year, he benefits from personalized follow-up: an LVMH team accompanies him and answers all the questions concerning the protection of his name, the development of new lines, places to produce, accounting... Designers often have very small teams and must also manage production, purchases and cash flow, which is not easy.

So yes, I am very proud and happy for these talents who are now on their own.

What should a young designer offer today to conquer the jury?

– Creations that trigger emotions, curiosity, desire.

We always need to be inspired by the new.

But what matters is the personality of the creator.

I remember Marine Serre in front of the jury in 2017: she was very young and had to speak for ten minutes to present her collection.

It was not easy to convince a prestigious jury, composed among others of Nicolas Ghesquière or Maria Grazia Chiuri, but she had been very motivated and clear in her message.

A brand is based above all on the personality of the designer.

– Becoming a designer is a vocation.

Some of the semi-finalists of this edition told me that they wanted to get into this profession from an early age.

I am touched by their perseverance.

– Perseverance is a quality that is close to our hearts.

For example, Jacquemus had applied one year, but had not won, and the following year he received a special award.

Fashion is not a sprint but a marathon.

Full screen

Hoyeon, new Louis Vuitton muse and

star .

Saskia Lawaks

Hoyeon, dramas today are watched by an increasing number of people.

Are they launching interesting fashions?

– Certainly not

because we only wear green tracksuits, even if they are very stylish!

(

) And at the same time, it's true that these outfits have inspired a lot of young people.

– How long did the filming last and what did you think of this scenario which mixes social allegory and very extreme games?

– We toured for eight months in South Korea.

At first, I was only focused on studying my character.

The director, Hwang Dong-hyeok, told me simply that it was a competition that juxtaposed people from different social levels in South Korea.

It was only later that I got a look at the whole project.

The director wanted this series to appeal to all age groups.

He wanted to show social diversity, gender, race, culture.

There are Indian and Pakistani migrants, a North Korean defector… The idea was to open the borders.

I never imagined for a moment the phenomenal impact that this series would have in the world.

No one is prepared for such success.

We still don't know what captivated people.

But overnight, my life changed dramatically.

The semi-finalists for the new edition of the LVMH Prize come from all over the world.

What does this year's vintage express?

– I think it reflects the spirit of the times.

There is a mix between artisanal creations, such as the very sculptural ones by Japanese designer Ryunosuke Okazaki, entirely handmade and close to the world of plastic arts, and others that draw on urban trends and fit more into ready-to-wear.

There are eight women among the semi-finalists, and we are very proud of that.

The prize is open to all nationalities, as it is sufficient to register online.

We received applications from designers from 110 countries.

Among the semi-finalists, we have young talents from Europe, Asia (Sri Lanka, South Korea, China, Japan), North America and Nigeria.

– I loved the hyper-colored unisex collections of Amesh Wijesekera, the Sri Lankan designer.

It was also great, Delphine, to discover two South Korean designers, including Ashlynn Park who is based in New York.

All place eco-responsibility at the heart of their creative approach: they use recycled materials, work around upcycling.

There are eight women among the semi-finalists, and we are very proud of them

Delphine Arnault

Hoyeon, you are followed by nearly 24 million people on Instagram, and your name has accumulated 3.5 billion views on TikTok… Do you believe that social networks and NFTs (digital works of art) will one day dictate the codes? of fashion ?

– I no longer count the number of my followers on Instagram.

I'm not even on TikTok, but I know that as soon as I take a step, everything is referenced.

All this is strange for my family and me.

I come from a fairly traditional background, where meeting a person in real life remains an essential value (

).

But, obviously, social networks are very present in the lives of young people of my generation.

We will find the latest trends there.

For example, I discovered there the very connected brand Bode, from the New York designer Emily Adams Bode.

I also have friends who like to buy virtual clothes in NFT (

).

The idea is funny, but I prefer the real thing.

I don't want a world where everyone has their own avatar to dress up like a doll.

– Social networks have a crazy influence today.

I don't think we should forbid ourselves from dreaming of other ways of conceiving fashion.

All brands are wondering how to interact with the world of NFTs and metaverses (Mark Zuckerberg's virtual project).

This is one of the challenges of our world.

But above all we think about how to do it intelligently, using talent and creativity.

There's no rush, we have time.

Full screen

Delphine Arnault, deputy general manager of Louis Vuitton and creator of the LVMH prize.

Saskia Lawaks

H.

– I am so happy to meet these designers here, to hear them tell me inspiring stories about their lives and their collections.

To touch fabrics!

Some today have told me that they have created a lot during the periods of confinement.

They used this stolen time to achieve their dreams.

I recognized myself in their experience, because I was studying my role during the first confinement.

– Have you always wanted to be an actress?

- No, it's recent!

When I started my modeling career, I spent a lot of time alone, between traveling and sleeping in hotels around the world.

Most of the time I watched movies.

My desire to be an actress was declared by watching masterpieces of cinema.

I auditioned for

in 2020 and I was taken!

I still have trouble believing it.

I was so happy, but also worried, to cast myself alongside actors who are famous in South Korea.

The director, too, is a star in our country.

What are the common denominators that you see appearing in young emerging fashion designers?

– Until now, we mainly noticed designers who designed collections for women or men.

Today, we see more and more unisex and

This is also the case with most of the semi-finalists of the LVMH Prize.

More and more importance is attached to the traceability of textiles, which makes it possible to know where they come from and to ensure ethical fashion.

This is a very important message in contemporary creation.

I am also very impressed by all these brands that were created in the middle of Covid, with great courage and determination.

Their tenacity amazes me.

lvmhprize.com