Maria Grazia Chiuri joins LVMH Prize judging panel

Maria Grazia Chiuri has landed a spot on the jury for this year's prestigious LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize.

The Creative Director of Dior will join the star-studded panel of designers that includes Karl Lagerfeld, Riccardo Tisci, Phoebe Philo, Marc Jacobs, Nicola Ghesquière, J. W Anderson and Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton Delphine Arnault, Advisor to Bernard Arnault Jean-Paul Claverie and Chairman and CEO of the LVMH Fashion Group Pierre-Yves Roussel complete the jury.

The application process for the 2017 edition of the competition is now open, with any designer under the age of 40 who has produced at least two ready-to-wear collections eligible to apply. The eventual winner will be awarded a grant of €300,000 and 12 months of mentorship from the group in order to help the designer grow his or her brand. The three-step selection process will culminate with an award ceremony in June.

Founded in 2013, the annual competition sees one young designer and three fashion school graduates honored every year.

The first female to take the reins at Dior, Chiuri was named as the successor of Raf Simons last July, and unveiled her debut collection for the French fashion house last September during Paris Fashion Week. She was previously Co-creative Director at Valentino, alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli.