Thebe Magugu Makes History As He Snags LVMH Prize

He is the very first African to do so!

South African designer Thebe Magugu has just made history as being the first African designer to snag the 2019 LVMH prize. This hefty prize consists of €300,000 (around UGX121 Million) cash sum which is dished by the fashion head honcho. LVMH is the parent group of Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Celine and Rihanna’s Fenty

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A post shared by Thebe Magugu (@thebemagugu) on Aug 9, 2018 at 9:56am PDT

Magugu was the best of eight finalists, but for his work to reach this level it must have really stood out. ‘It was really hard to choose,’ laughed one of those experts, Delphine Arnault, who launched the prize in 2013. ‘This year is our biggest year; we received 1,700 applications from over 100 countries. But we have to choose someone.’ To have come out on top from all these applicants means something special to him, ‘I’m not going to lie, I did not expect to win,’ Magugu said — visibly stunned.

All it takes to apply for the LVMH prize is an internet connection, and access to a laptop (provided you’re aged between 18 and 40, with at least two collections to your name), which Arnault sees as an advantage, allowing her to ‘discover new talents that aren’t known in Paris, Milan, New York, or London’. You never know, next year it could be you – but for now, congrats Mr Magugu!