“The quality and the standard of the fifth edition of the LVMH Prize made it difficult for our experts to narrow down the selection,” Delphine Arnault, jury member of this year’s prize alongside Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs and Clare Waight Keller – and Executive Vice-President of Louis Vuitton – said in a statement today, announcing the nine finalists; traditionally just eight designers have been selected.

“Creative teams feature prominently in the selection,” she continues, “indeed, three of our finalists are design duos. Besides, this year saw a real diversity of talent, with two brands designing womenswear, two designing menswear, two both womenswear and menswear while three create gender neutral fashion. I am moreover delighted that Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, a semi-finalist in 2017, has returned to the competition.”

Alongside Jeffrey, A-Cold-Wall by Samuel Ross, Doublet by Masayuki Ino and Botter by Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh were all picked for the prize; likewise Zoe Latta and Mike Eckhaus’ Eckhaus Latta, Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Matthew Adams Dolan’s eponymous labels, Kwaidan Editions by Léa Dickely and Hung La, and Rokh by Rok Hwang.

Won in its debut year by Tina and Nikita Sutradhar’s Miuniku, the annual award has since championed Grace Wales Bonner, Hood by Air’s Shayne Oliver and Marques’Almeida (winners and special prize recipients in 2016, 2014 and 2015, respectively). This year’s winner, who alongside industry wide respect (obvs) and support from LVMH, will take home a cash prize to further their business, will be announced on 6 June. “I wish all the finalists good luck,” concludes Arnault. “The jury will most certainly find it hard to choose a winner.” No doubt.