Anthony Vaccarello wins ANDAM fashion award

The Belgian designer beat out his high-profile counterparts on a shortlist that included Adam Kimmel, Commuun, Jeremy Laing, Matthew Harding, and Yiqing Yin, winning the prestigious French fashion prize Wednesday.

Vaccarello won the Grand Prix at the Hyères Fashion Festival in 2006 before working alongside Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi. He has been showing his own-label collections during Paris women's ready-to-wear since 2009.

The €200,000 endowment will benefit his next show in October as well as the opening of a French branch of his label. He will also receive mentorship from fashion experts, the opportunity to exhibit at France's Galeries Lafayette department store, and a €10,000 donation of Swarovski crystals to be used in the spring/summer 2012 collection.

Bestowed by fashion's editorial and buying elite including The Daily Telegraph's Hilary Alexander, French Vogue's new editor in chief Emmanuelle Alt, and Paris concept store Colette's creative director Sarah Lerfel, the award has helped to boost the careers of Giles Deacon and Hakaan in past years, for instance.

http://www.andam.fr