The jury members gathered on Wednesday, July 01, at IFM Paris, to select the fellowship winners of the 2026 ANDAM Fashion Awards. The 11 finalists presented their business and creative projects to the 31-member jury.

ANDAM Fashion Awards

“This edition has a particular flavor, as the jury was chaired by Alexandre Mattiussi, founder and creative director of Ami Paris. Thirteen years ago, Alexandre won this award at the start of AMI Paris. Today, he returns and takes place on the other side of the table, selecting and supporting those who will follow his path and write the next great stories in fashion. That is the very mission of the ANDAM,” said Guillaume Houzé, ANDAM’s president.

Founded in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour with the support of the French Ministry of Culture and the DEFI, a body that promotes the development of the French fashion industry and chaired by Guillaume Houzé, the annual ANDAM Fashion Awards offer financial and logistic support to fashion designers chosen after a long and in-depth process of selection.

Grand Prix

Marie Adam-Leenaerdt won the 2026 ANDAM Fashion Award (300,000 euros), beating EgonLab, Fidan Novruzova, and Zomer. Founded in Brussels in 2023, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt creates timeless, chic, and multifunctional garments inspired by everyday objects and gestures. Combining strong tailoring, precise construction, and a conceptual yet wearable approach, the brand explores a refined balance between creativity and functionality, designing pieces intended to accompany women across different lifestyles, generations, and occasions. After graduating from La Cambre in 2020 and working for major fashion houses, Marie launched her eponymous label to create distinctive clothing rooted in everyday life.

“I warmly congratulate Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, winner of the ANDAM Grand Prize. Her work is proof that creativity, intelligence, passion, and a distinctly contemporary vision continue to shape the future of fashion. A special word as well for Pauline Dujancourt, winner of the Special Prize, whose work reminds us of a simple truth: in a world where artificial intelligence and marketing are playing an ever-greater role, nothing will ever replace the sensitivity, emotion, and unique vision of a designer,” said Alexandre Mattiussi.

The Special Prize (100,000 euros) went to London-based French designer Pauline Dujancourt. She explores womenswear through crochet and handknitting, blending knit and woven elements for hybrid, sensual silhouettes. She contrasts deconstructed knits with delicate metallic crochet, perceived as "jewellery knits", drawn to the tension between beauty and something raw and unsettling. Her work is rooted in ancestral domestic making, a tribute to everyday women hand-knitting for their loved ones. Through collaborations with skilled female artisans worldwide, she nurtures independence and celebrates craft, with one quiet intention at the heart of it all: for women to feel their presence and importance in the world.

Candidates for the ANDAM Grand Prix may be of any nationality, but they must own a French company or establish one during the same year they receive the award.

Prix Pierre Bergé

Self-taught Parisian designer Anthony Calydon, who launched his eponymous brand last year, has won the Pierre Bergé Prize with a 100,000 cash award. He will be supported by Frédéric Maus, managing director of WSN, the organiser of fashion trade shows in Paris. Maus will help Anthony Calydon structure his brand and manage a safe and global growth for his brand, thanks to the precious advice on product development, commercial, and digital strategies.

Prix Accessoires de Mode

The footwear Paris-based label Phileo took home the accessories prize. Launched in 2021, it approaches footwear through an architectural and artistic lens, combining craftsmanship with bold, unconventional forms. Sustainability also plays a key role in Phileo’s vision, with a focus on responsible materials and thoughtful production. In order to help her brand’s development, Phileo will benefit from a one-year mentorship and the personal guidance of Pelagia Kolotouros, creative director of Lacoste.

Innovation Prize

Selected by a committee of fashion and innovation experts on May 20 at IFM Paris, Alphalyr won the 2026 ANDAM Fashion Innovation Award, with a 100,000-euro endowment. The French Start-up is an AI-powered data analytics platform for supply chain, retail, and e-commerce that transforms data into actionable decisions to synchronize performance across all sectors. For the second edition, the Expert Committee awarded a Special Prize to: PILI combines microbial fermentation with green chemistry to produce bio-based dyes and pigments (notably a bio-based indigo) from renewable resources, replacing petrochemical colorants.

During the 2026 Prize Ceremony hosted by the French Minister of Culture, Catherine Pégard, the six ANDAM Fashion Awards winners received a crystal trophy, generously offered by Swarovski, and designed by Alexandre Mattiussi, ANDAM Grand Prize winner 2013 and president of the 2026 ANDAM jury.

Photo: a look by Marie Adam-Leenaerdt