On Instagram, Setchu can be a confidential brand with its 8600 followers. This goes against the tide of celebrated fashion labels that already enjoy a small digital notoriety before winning the timpani. But in the ranks of the star jury of the LVMH prize, whose members come from the group's flagship brands (Jonathan Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Nicolas Ghesquière, Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones, Nigo, Stella McCartney and Silvia Venturini Fendi), there was not an ounce of doubt. Japan's Satoshi Kuwata, at the helm of the winning brand, is a talented designer who has already proven himself well. At 39, he even has a long experience in the sector. He cut his teeth at Huntsman in Savile Row during his studies at Central Saint Martins, then at Gareth Pugh in London, Kanye West and Givenchy in Paris, and finally Edun in New York City and Golden Goose in Milan. "As soon as I saw his work, I was convinced that we had the winner. I really believe in her philosophy and the vision of her brand," says Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of Dior's women's collections and member of the jury. It's not just about clothes, it's also about her experience and creative approach."
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Born in Kyoto, Japan, Satoshi Kuwata moved to London at the age of 21 to pursue a career in fashion. In 2020, he launched his unisex brand Setchu, with the desire to make his creations a bridge between Japanese and Western concepts, while respecting the craftsmanship of different cultures. We will see in his wardrobe tailor's jackets, a classic of Western dressing room, which pass through the hands of the designer become foldable thanks to a construction made in the manner of origami. It's intriguing, it's chic and it's functional (they don't wrinkle). His vision of elegance is also nestled in the details, such as in his removable collars, which become interchangeable, and his buttoning game. Here, it is a question of maintaining the silhouette, a reflection of a constant style, by playing on a few twists so as not to change clothes each season.
Enfant terrible
"As a child, I was boisterous. My mother was worried about me. I will now make her happy, "said Satoshi Kuwata after receiving his award from actress Gal Gadot, guest of honor of this edition which took place at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. The designer also left with the sum of 400,000 euros and a year of mentoring within LVMH. Inflation has gone through this: the endowment has been revised upwards by 100,000 euros compared to previous editions. "It's a big event in my life. This award will obviously help me financially to develop my brand."