LVMH Group and Givenchy join the industry supporter line-up for GFW

Graduate Fashion Foundation, the charity behind Graduate Fashion Week, has announced that the LVMH Group and Givenchy are the latest leading industry leaders to get involved in the four-day event. 

The event, which runs from 2-5 June at the Old Truman Brewery in East London, aims to bridge the gap between graduation and employment and also enjoys the support of brands such as Swarovski, Ralph Lauren, L’Oréal Professionnel and Farfetch.

As part of the new partnership with Graduate Fashion Week, LVMH will be present hosting a hub within the sponsorship floor. This interactive space will be set-up for graduates to visit with their portfolios to obtain advice and apply for recruitment opportunities directly from the LVMH team.

The stand will be manned daily by different Maisons including Givenchy, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Celine, J.W. Anderson and Nicholas Kirkwood. As part of the partnership, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Creative Recruitment Gena Smith will be part of the jury of The Christopher Bailey Collection of The Year Award.

Chantal Gaemperle, EVP Human Resources & Synergies at LVMH, commented: “The LVMH group, along with its 75 luxury Maisons, has a strong commitment to encouraging and developing talents with diverse backgrounds. Diversity is in our Group DNA and is key to the success of our business. Graduate Fashion Week is a great opportunity for us to meet new creative talents from around the world. It provides a tremendous source of inspiration. This is why we are very happy to be, with our Maisons, part of this event.”

Within the LVMH Maisons represented, French luxury fashion house Givenchy will allow students the opportunity to meet with inspiring Creative Talents on their stand and to discover new career opportunities in the design house. The French house will also offer more than 15 six-months paid design internships in Paris for students on site.

Caroline de Saint Maurice, Human Resources Director at Givenchy, said: “Participating in the Graduate Fashion Week this year, with our own Givenchy stand, is an amazing opportunity for us to exchange with young talents about our Maison and the career opportunities it presents. The UK is such a great place for creation and we are always looking for new creative assets to join the Givenchy family.”

Swarovski is also returning to GFW for the third year running. The luxury crystal brand is sponsoring a brand-new award for 2019, The Conscious Design Award. It celebrates and recognises graduates’ specific contribution to and creation of socially responsible clothing that embodies and communicates sustainable and ethical practices.

The winning collection will successfully demonstrate the challenge to create a range which has strong visual and commercial catwalk impact, originality, excellence in craftsmanship and technicality as well as capturing the essence of sustainable and ethical practices.

Martyn Roberts, Creative & Managing Director of Graduate Fashion Week, said: “Once again, Graduate Fashion Week is set to be an incredible showcase for some of the world’s best fashion graduates. We are extremely proud to be joined by new luxury international fashion houses and groups, who want to join and support the work of the GFF charity, as well as scout the best talent on offer from UK and International universities."