“Of course it’s a good feeling, but I’m really happy for the people who support me,” designer Satoshi Kuwata told W earlier this year after being nominated for the 2023 LVMH Prize for Young Designers. Now he has more to celebrate. This morning his Milan-based label Setchu was awarded the 10th annual iterations of the prestigious award. The distinction places him among past honorees including Nensi Dojaka, Marine Serre, and last year’s awardee, S.S. Daley. Kuwata beat out 2,400 applicants from 15 countries in order to win the award and was chosen by a panel of judges, which included fashion industry luminaries like Marc Jacobs, Jonathan Anderson, Mel Ottenberg, and Karlie Kloss. In addition to the money, Kuwata will also get a year-long mentorship provided by LVMH.
Born and raised in Japan, Kuwata left home at 21 for London, later spending time in other major fashion capitals including New York, Paris, and his current home of Milan. It’s his experiences in these many cities that shape his work at Setchu, a brand with an “east meets west” ethos at its core. The name itself speaks to that, coming from the Japanese phrase, “wayo setchu,” with “wayo” meaning West and “setchu” meaning compromise. “I don’t design kimono, I design Western clothes, but there’s going to be a Japanese feeling in there because I’m Japanese,” he said. “Otherwise, what’s the point?”
As of now, Setchu is basically a one-man operation, but the designer leans on the support of those around him, often accepting help while unable to guarantee compensation in return. Now, with the €400,000 that comes with the award, Kuwata plans to acquire some office space (he currently works out of his house), and to add one or two trusted people to the opperation to handle the administrative side of the brand. His ultimate goal is for Setchu to become a heritage company, something that outlives even him.
“I want this company to be one of the maisons in [LVMH],” he…
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