NEW YORK – Eftychia Karamolegkou, a Greek designer based in London, is among the 20 designers from around the world in the semifinals for the coveted LVMH prize, handed out by the Louis Vuitton fashion house. Karamolegkou is in the running for her women’s collection.

This award is an important distinction for the fashion industry, and this year’s competition is intense as the final 20 were selected from 1,700 new designers who submitted a sample of their work to the organizers. The jury will consist of 63 professionals in the field, while the finalists will be revealed in Paris during fashion week, March 1-2. The cash prize for the winner is $340,000.

Eftychia Karamolegou, a native of Santorini, studied Graphic Design in Athens. The young designer has been in London in recent years, after studying fashion design in Antwerp. She moved to the British capital to work with the team of famous Greek designer Mary Katrantzou, while in 2017, she graduated with a Master’s in Womenswear at the famous Central Saint Martins.

In a previous interview with Lifo Magazine she said, “I grew up on three different islands, Syros, Santorini, and Kos, and when I finished high school I went to Athens to study graphic design at the Technological Educational Institute (TEI). Later I worked a little as a graphic designer until I decided to do a ‘restart.’”

As far as her work with Mary Katranzou was concerned, she said, “The fact that she is Greek I imagine played a role but the main reason I wanted to be there was because, as a new emerging designer then, with a relatively small group, I knew they would ‘use’ me as much as possible, so I would learn more.”

Pieces from her collection are available in stores in London, New York, Tokyo, and even Kyoto.

More information about the LVMH prize and all the semifinalists is available online: lvmhprize.com.