L'Oréal Paris to award grant to emerging fashion designer

By

Marion Deslandes

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Mar 1, 2017

L'Oréal Paris is stepping further into the fashion world. The French cosmetics giant's leading brand has in fact set up the L'Oréal Paris Fashion Grant, a €10,000 prize that will be awarded to an emerging fashion designer on 5th March.  

The winner will be one of the eleven designers invited to the Designers Apartment showroom by the French Fashion Federation, open from 2nd to 8th March at the Atelier Richelieu in Paris. Five names are on the grant's short-list: French designer Coralie Marabelle, recognised at the Hyères Fashion Festival in 2014; the Mazarine Paris label, winner of the city of Paris' 'Grand Prix' for design in 2015; Parisian designer Quoï Alexander; Victoria/Tomas, a brand founded in 2012 by Victoria Feldman and Tomas Berzins; and the designer Wilfried Lantoine. "As L'Oréal Paris is the official sponsor of the [Paris] Fashion Week, we are very happy for this initiative, which has our support," stated the French Fashion Federation.

The award's jury will convene on 3rd March, and on 5th March US actress Julianna Moore - brand ambassador for L'Oréal Paris - will hand out the prize at a gala dinner organised at Parisian restaurant Le Grand Colbert, which for the occasion will be entirely made-over with L'Oréal colours, turning into the 'Brasserie L'Oréal'. 

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It is a way for the cosmetics brand, official sponsor of the Paris Fashion Week for the last three years, to gain a firmer foothold in the fashion world by supporting an emerging label. "Besides the catwalk shows, we are keen to recognise young designers by shining the spotlight on promising labels, offering a little financial help and a visibility boost," said a spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris. 

L'Oréal Paris has also taken on the self-appointed task of "democratising the major beauty and fashion trends." During the Paris Fashion Week, it will organise 'hunting' sessions, scouting for edgy street style, and hold make-up workshops at its recently opened Parisian store.

The cosmetics brand also takes care of hair-styling and make-up for nearly twenty of the labels showing in the French capital, such as Jacquemus, Masha Ma, Vanessa Seward, Rykiel and John Galliano.