Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • Cynthia Merhej announced as first Arab woman shortlisted for fashion’s LVMH Prize


Cynthia Merhej announced as first Arab woman shortlisted for fashion’s LVMH Prize

Cynthia Mehrej the Lebanese designer behind womenswear label Renaissance Renaissance. File/Instagram
Short Url

https://arab.news/mr54f

Updated 31 March 2021
Arab News
Follow

Cynthia Merhej announced as first Arab woman shortlisted for fashion’s LVMH Prize

Updated 31 March 2021
Arab News

DUBAI: The 20 semi-finalists for the 2021 LVMH Prize for Young Designers have been announced, and among the designers chosen is Cynthia Merhej, the Lebanese talent behind womenswear label Renaissance Renaissance. Merhej, who is based between Lebanon and France, is the first Arab woman to be shortlisted for the prestigious prize. She has been selected alongside fashion creatives that hail from around the world, spanning from Italy to Nigeria and Japan to the United States.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by LVMHPrize (@lvmhprize)

Due to coronavirus restrictions, Merhej’s collection will be shown in a virtual showroom from April 6 to 11 on lvmhprize.com, alongside the collections of the other 19 semi-finalists. Visitors will be able to vote on their favorites, a first for the LVMH Prize.

“I am very grateful to all the candidates from more than 110 countries for taking part in this year’s competition and I would like to congratulate the semi-finalists,” said Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and founder of the LVMH Prize in a released statement. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @renaissance_renaissance

“All the semi-finalists have incorporated a responsible stance in their creative vision: use of innovative or traditional materials, upcycling, recycled fibres, artisanal and local approaches. These initiatives echo the shift in the fashion and luxury industries,” she added.

The winner of the 2021 LVMH Prize will receive $352,000 plus a year of mentorship from designers and executives within LVMH.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @renaissance_renaissance

Meanwhile, the winner of the Karl Lagerfeld special prize will receive $176,000 and a year of mentorship. 

Helping select the winning designers for the eighth edition of the award is the LVMH Prize’s new ambassador, 23-year-old tennis champion Naomi Osaka. She will join the newest additions to the Committee of Experts, including part-Palestinian model Bella Hadid and French actress Lea Seydoux, among others.

Read on for the 2021 LVMH Prize semi-finalists.

AGR by Alicia Robinson, womenswear and menswear, British designer based in London

Bianca Saunders, by Bianca Saunders, menswear, British designer based in London

Charles de Vilmorin, by Charles de Vilmorin, genderless collections, French designer based in Paris

Christopher John Rogers, by Christopher John Rogers, womenswear, American designer based in New York

Conner Ives, by Conner Ives, womenswear, American designer based in London

Federico Cina, by Federico Cina, genderless collections, designer italian based in Sarsina

Kidsuper, by Colm Dillane, menswear, American designer based in New York

Kika Vargas, by Kika Vargas, womenswear, Colombian designer based in Bogota

Lagos Space Programme, by Adeju Thompson, genderless collections, Nigerian designer based in Lagos

Lukhanyo Mdingi, by Lukhanyo Mdingi, womenswear and menswear, South African designer based in Cape Town

Midorikawa, by Taku Midorikawa, genderless collections, Japanese designer based in Tokyo

Nensi Dojaka, by Nensi Dojaka, womenswear, Albanian designer based in London

Post Archive Faction (PAF), by Dongjoon Lim, menswear, South Korean designer based in Seoul

Renaissance Renaissance, by Cynthia Merhej, womenswear, Lebanese designer based in Beirut

Rier, by Andreas Steiner, genderless collections, Italian designer based in Paris

Rui, by Rui Zhou, genderless collections, Chinese designer based in Shanghai

Saul Nash, by Saul Nash, menswear, British designer based in London

Shuting Qiu, by Shuting Qiu, womenswear, Chinese designer based in Shanghai

Taakk, by Takuya Morikawa, menswear, Japanese designer based in Tokyo

Wed, by Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips, womenswear, British designers based in London

Topics: LVMH Prize 2021 arab designers

‘The Wild Within’ sees artists breathe new life into Mideast buildings

Updated 16 December 2025
Saffiya Ansari
Follow

‘The Wild Within’ sees artists breathe new life into Mideast buildings

Updated 16 December 2025
Saffiya Ansari

DUBAI: Lens-based artist Ryan Koopmans and digital artist Alice Wexell are staging a showcase at Dubai’s Leila Heller Gallery that breathes new life into regional buildings.

The series of digital artworks is part of the exhibition “The Wild Within,” featuring images of old structures in Beirut, Istanbul, and Abu Dhabi filled with wild flowers.

Two of the largest works, “Heartbeats” and “The Wish,” are displayed using Ventana, a microLED architectural display surface created by visual technology company Megapixel.

'Around Us' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied) 

The former artwork depicts the entrance hall of Qasr Al-Watan, the UAE’s presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, while the latter reimagines the upper floors of the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi.

“Each building we work with comes to us through a combination of research, travel, and intuition,” the artists told Arab News in a joint statement.

'Constellations' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied) 

“We are drawn to structures that carry both emotional and historical resonance, often buildings that once embodied human ambition and now exist in a state of quiet transformation.”

Koopans and Wexell made sure to research the context of each building they choose to recreate, saying “an old villa in Jeddah or a former school in Sharjah each hold their own cultural memory, influencing everything from the lighting and atmosphere to the plants and flowers that we digitally sculpt and implement into the photographs.”

'Heart of Sharjah' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied) 

The hypnotic works depict the interior of buildings in the region, with digitally rendered flowers carpeting the floor in a bid to “(reimage) these spaces (and) explore the relationship between nature, place, and time, while celebrating each site as a unique work of architecture with its own spirit and story,” the artists said.

Koopmans is of dual Canadian and Dutch heritage, while Wexell is Swedish and based in Stockholm, so it is noteworthy that both artists chose to explore the Middle East for their latest project.

'Blossom of the Ancestors' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied) 

“In the Middle East especially, the architecture reflects a layered past that merges different styles and eras, while also expressing a sense of renewal and forward-looking energy, particularly in the region’s fantastic contemporary buildings. We are drawn to the symmetry, geometry and patterns that are found not only in nature itself, but in the architectural language of the region both past and present,” they said.

The series — featuring works such as “Adore You,” “Between Worlds,” and “Blossom of the Ancestors” — explores contrasts between the natural world and human-made forms, as well as the traditional and contemporary worlds.

“We are interested in how these elements coexist and merge into one another, creating a sense of hyperrealism that feels both familiar and imaginary. By merging photography with digital sculpture, the artworks question where the boundary lies between documentation and invention, and how technology can extend rather than replace our sense of the natural world.”

'Under the Rain of Light' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied) 

Although the scale of the artworks ensures they leave the viewer entranced, it did pose challenges, according to the artists.

“Presented at a large scale, every texture in these artworks becomes visible, which can be demanding but is also incredibly rewarding. The magnified detail allows the visceral and atmospheric layers of the pieces to come through with greater impact,” they said, adding that each piece took “many months” to create.

“Ultimately, we want our collectors to experience a sense of wonder and contemplation, as if they are standing inside a dream that feels both entirely real yet unreal.”

The exhibition runs until Jan. 15, 2026. 

Latest updates

Pakistan beat UAE to secure semifinal berth in U-19 Asia Cup
Punjab scientists develop potato variety capable of withstanding smog conditions
UK police charge two men with belonging to Hezbollah, attending terrorism training
Australia’s Green becomes IPL’s most expensive overseas player
Rwanda-back M23 rebels say they will withdraw from seized city in eastern Congo

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.