PARIS — The presentation of the 21 semifinalists for the LVMH Prize for Young Designers in Paris was a celebration of an increasingly mobile generation of young designers.
But with one designer absent due to visa issues and two others relating tales of last-minute battles against red tape, the event was also a reminder of the powerful political forces that threaten to curb the free movement of talent that the fashion industry has long depended on.
In the era of President Trump’s attempted curbs on immigration, Brexit and the rise of far-right political movements in France, The Netherlands and elsewhere across Europe, open borders may soon be going out of trend, members of the industry fear.
The presentation, held at the headquarters of luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton on Avenue Montaigne, showcased labels based in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the U.K., Germany, Taiwan and Denmark, among others.
But Maria Kazakova, the Russian designer behind the New York-based label Jahnkoy, had to join in via Skype after getting stuck in New York due to visa issues. Having graduated from Parsons the New School for Design, she recently applied for an artist’s visa.
“I’m transitioning from one visa status to another one, so in
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