Yui Chen Wins Grand Prize at Hyères Fashion Festival
The 41st International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories in Hyères, France, announced its award winners this afternoon. Shanghai‑based designer Yui Chen captured the Grand Prize with her collection “Food Cover,” a unisex line that leans toward women’s wear and is described by the creator as “a way of preserving childhood memories.” Developed in collaboration with Montex, the collection pairs everyday items such as a yellow lingerie dress with collapsible overlays—transparent lace tents or leather‑bow cages. Chen explained that she first builds each piece in miniature before producing the final garment, citing an eight‑panel sheath dress in recycled leather that folds flat like an accordion. “Fashion is the most vivid form of theater. My dream would be to create a whole universe and language, like Issey Miyake did,” she told Vogue.
Other fashion awards went to a diverse group of designers. Dieter Vlasich Obermann, a London‑based artist of Mexican‑German heritage, received the 19M Métiers d’Art Prize for a collection inspired by “tiliches,” or hidden junk. Dutch designer Rachel Luurssen, based in Paris, earned the Ateliers des Matières Prize for a women’s line that blends Hollywood glamour, coquettishness, fading beauty and body‑dysmorphia. Chinese designer Xiao Xu, also in Paris, won the Supima Prize for his men’s collection “Uncanny,” which draws on latex, 1970s fetish culture, embroidery and knitwear. A special mention and the Public Prize were awarded to Spanish creator Brais Albor Rodriguez for a witty collection that merges the concept of squirrels—using shearling sourced from Vinted—with bold bravado.
Grand Prize honors in accessories and photography were given to Sassa Ann van Wyk and Motoki Nakatani, respectively. Chen will benefit from support by Chanel, the festival’s long‑standing Grand Partner, as well as the new Grand Partner le19M and its ten maisons d’art, plus grants from the Atelier des Matières, Supima, newcomer Watteau, Les Teintures de France, the Alliance for European Flax‑Linen & Hemp, and Richemont’s AZ Academy. All fashion laureates will be presented by Première Classe during Paris Fashion Week in March and again in October 2027.
The festival’s motif—a racing flag with a star on a pink‑and‑green checkered field—suggested a return to momentum, and organizers dubbed this edition “a year of firsts.” Chen is the first Chinese designer to claim the top prize. Managing director Hugo Luccino also ensured that women chaired every jury: Chloé creative director Chemena Kamali for fashion, photographer Camille Vivier for photography, and Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen for accessories.
Mayor Josée Massi of Toulon, who recently became the first female president of the Métropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée, addressed the 30 finalists, saying, “You already have your place. Talent is not about one prize.” Newly elected mayor of Hyères, Véronique Bernardini—the first woman to hold the role since its creation in 1677—opened the ceremony with a nod to Gabrielle Chanel: “Trends pass but style remains… and in Hyères, audacity is never out of style.”
At the reception, Massi praised the decision to host the fashion show at the Forum du Casino in the heart of Hyères, calling it “a renaissance” and urging that culture stay accessible. She emphasized reaching younger audiences, noting, “I often say that the future stands less than a meter tall. We have to go out and find them.” Massi sees Hyères and Toulon as twin hubs for fashion and design, noting Toulon’s satellite campus of the École Camondo and the possibility of moving the Design Parade to the Porte d’Italie district next year.
Valérie Duport, who became president of the Villa Noailles in July, highlighted her own first, saying she “raised my hand” to take the role. She paid tribute to France’s first fashion festival, stressing the importance of longevity in a volatile industry, and affirmed that the Villa Noailles remains a living space that welcomes people. Duport also disclosed a plan to clear about €1.3 million of debt within two years and restart on solid footing.
Returning to the festival, Lucas Emilio Brunner—last year’s Grand Prize winner for an inflatable‑based collection—presented “Standards,” a line inspired by sports flags and 1960s Ivy League style, created with the Ateliers de Verneuil. Highlights included striped poplin shirts, contrast‑trimmed polos and a leather‑marquetry coat. Former le19M Métiers d’Art laureate Emma Bruschi led a straw‑weaving workshop with Galerie 19M, while 2025 Accessories Grand Prize winner Amaury Darras displayed the Art Nouveau‑inspired Keratina Medusa corset, a collaboration with Goossens that merges cabinetry and jewelry techniques. 2025 le19M Métiers d’Art winner Adrien Michel introduced a capsule referencing Marcel Breuer’s Cesca B34 chair, centered on a shirt that unfolds from a leather case.