“Winner in 2013 and president of the jury 13 years later—what a message of optimism for all young designers.”

On the evening of  January 14, Guillaume Houzé, director of philanthropy and image at the Galeries Lafayette Group and president of ANDAM, announced, all smiles, Alexandre Mattiussi as president of the ANDAM jury and mentor to the Grand Prize winner.

The Parisian designer was indeed the recipient of the historic creative prize founded and led by Nathalie Dufour, at a time when his brand Ami Paris was taking its first steps in the menswear market.

“I waited a year before applying for the competition because I wanted to be truly ready—especially as the prize rewarded exceptionally creative talent, while my approach was pragmatic and commercially driven. And yet it worked,” recalled the designer at the presentation of the programme for the 2026 edition of the prize dedicated to emerging talent.

“Since then, I’ve always followed ANDAM. In 2013, Pierre Bergé presented me with the prize. And last year I had the honour of presenting the ANDAM Pierre Bergé Prize to Burc Akyol.” 

As president of the jury, Mattiussi will mentor the winner of the ANDAM Grand Prize, who will receive 300,000 euros, as well as the winner of the Jury’s Grand Prize, which carries 100,000 euros.

The total prize money amounts to 700,000 euros. And the ANDAM Prize can rely on its historic institutional partners, the Ministry of Culture and DEFI, and has also mobilised numerous houses and players in the luxury and fashion sectors.

At the event, held in the Marais district of Paris as it prepares to host presentations and shows by international brands for the Autumn/Winter 2026 season, Dufour announced two new ANDAM partners who will provide financial support, as well as industry expertise to future prize-winners.

“Zalando and Karla Otto are enriching our programme this year,” explained the director. “Zalando will organise a mentoring day for finalists and winners on e-commerce strategy, marketing and digital visibility, and customer experience. There will also be an ANDAM showcase on the platform, which we hope will enable them to reach a wider European audience. Karla Otto, via The Independents group, will support the winners with brand image and international visibility to help them build a clear, coherent and ambitious brand narrative.”

This support will be in addition to the advice and mentoring already in place as part of a prize that aims to champion talent intending to establish a lasting presence in Paris. Applications will be assessed on their contribution to the dynamism of the Paris scene and the French industry. Applications open on January 15.

The competition features three additional prizes, each worth 100,000 euros. The Pierre Bergé Prize aims to support a young French fashion company, enabling it to develop and gain international recognition. The winner will receive one year of support from Frédéric Maus, managing director of WSN, in structuring their company and collections.

Lacoste‘s creative director, Pelagia Kolotouros, will bring her expert insight to the winner of the Fashion Accessories Prize on business development and brand strategy. Finally, the start-up that wins the Innovation Prize for a project developed in France in the fashion sector will benefit from one year’s support from Yann Gozlan, founder and president of Creative Valley.

Candidates for the various prizes can apply until March 31. The jury will select the 2026 winners on July 1.