ANDAM chooses activist jury for awards’ 34th edition

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Feb 28, 2023

ANDAM, the French national association for the development of the arts of fashion, seems keen to put the accent on social engagement in its 2023 fashion awards. To the awards’ permanent jury, composed of 22 members representing the competition’s main patrons, ANDAM has added nine personalities this year, many of whom are activists in a variety of fields, such as climate change, gender equality and human rights. Also included are top models Gigi Hadid and Pat Cleveland.
 

The ANDAM emerging designer competition was founded in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour, its managing director, backed by the Ministry of Culture and DEFI, and is chaired by Guillaume Houzé. The competition’s 34th edition will be sponsored by Chloé boss Riccardo Bellini. The latter is also the president of the jury, whose members this year are a more diverse set compared to the circle of industry figures and other fashion insiders usually invited by ANDAM.
 
Among the nine guest members, there are Mexican climate activist Xiye Bastida; model Quannah Chasinghorse-Potts, a Native American who is highly committed to fighting climate change (she notably demonstrated for the preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska); Trisha Shetty, an Indian activist lawyer who leads SheSays, an association that promotes gender equality; and Iranian actress and director Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who was forced to flee her country in 2007.

Of course, a number of well-known fashion personalities have also been included among the guest jurors. In addition to celebrity models Gigi Hadid and Pat Cleveland, the other guest members are Georgian Beka Gvishiani, founder of the Stylenotcom Instagram account, Italian fashion critic Angelo Flacavento, and the editor-in-chief of Vogue China, Margaret Zhang.

ANDAM issued its call for applications in January, and has increased the prize money this year, bringing it from €600,000 to €700,000. The deadline for submitting applications is March 31, and the shortlist of finalists will be announced at the end of May. The competition's winners will be revealed by the jury on June 29, 2023. Five prizes will be awarded: The ANDAM Grand Prize, the Special Prize, the Pierre Bergé Prize, for an emerging French company in the fashion sector, the Fashion Accessories Prize and the Innovation Prize.