Ukrainian designer became a finalist for the French ANDAM Fashion Award
The French ANDAM Fashion Award 2023 has announced the names of 12 finalists for 2023. For the first time, a well-known Ukrainian designer Ruslan Baginskiy was among those selected for the accessories category.
After reviewing the applications, 31 jury members, including supermodel Gigi Hadid, Chanel President Bruno Pavlovsky, LVMH Fashion Group CEO Sidney Toledano and Kering Fashion Group Chairman François-Henri Pinault, selected the finalists of this year's competition. The award ceremony will take place on June 29 in Paris.
This year, Ruslan Baginskiy, being the founder of the eponymous Ukrainian brand of extraordinary hats for women, will compete for the award with Alighieri and Panconesi – famous London and Paris-based jewelry brands.
"I wish I could have told myself this news in 2016, during my first trip to Paris, when we lived in dubious apartments, in dubious neighborhoods and gnawed at every little opportunity to tell about ourselves and prove to everyone, and especially to ourselves, that a small brand from Ukraine can make a product on par with legendary French fashion houses," – the Ukrainian designer responded on his Instagram page.
Founded by Nathalie Dufour in 1989 with the French Ministry of Culture, the Association Nationale pour le Developpement des Arts de la Mode (ANDAM) is a prize which until 2005, was intended for French designers living in France only, but later it became a platform open to international participants. Over the years, ANDAM has allowed such well-known designers as Martin Margiela, Jeremy Scott, Gareth P’yu, Christophe Lemaire and many others to showcase their talent.
The finalist selected as the winner will receive a cash prize of €100,000, and will have the opportunity to work with a professional mentor in the fashion industry. The guru will accompany the designer throughout the year and help develop their own brand. This year, the representative of the famous French house Hermès, Guillaume de Seynes, will become a mentor.