ON TO A BIGGER STAGE: Yoshita 1967, a finalist for this year’s LVMH Prize for Young Designers, has won the European leg of the Circular Design Challenge.

The Paris-based brand, formally launched in 2024 by designer Anil Padia and drawing on his Indian Kenyan heritage, was recognized at a ceremony on Sunday evening at the Meurice hotel.

Yoshita 1967 beat out fellow European semifinalists that included French brand Coccellato by Iman Coccellato, PLN-GNS by Dmytro Hontarenko from Germany and Ukraine, France’s Matthieu Ruiz, Portugal-based Béhen by Joana Duarte and Italian brand Florania by Flora Rabbiti.

Now on its eight edition, the international competition attracted some 220 applications, with a shortlist of 23 finalists. Finals for the U.K. and Asia will be taking place in coming weeks.

Being held during the India-France Year of Innovation, its European final is part of collaborations with the Embassy of France in India and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s ruling body.

European winner Padia will benefit from a dedicated mentorship program on design, business and brand-building from leading industry experts.

He and other finalists will regroup for the ultimate stage of the competition during Lakmé Fashion Week in October. They will present their concepts to the jury at the United Nations headquarters in New Delhi before a group showcase where the winner and runner-up of the 2026 edition will be revealed.

The overall winner of the Circular Design Challenge will take home a purse prize of $25,000, as well as an opportunity to show during Lakmé Fashion Week.

Formally know as the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge, the competition is a platform in India that encourages a greener fashion industry to those coming up and thinking about a career in the creative spaces. It was developed in partnership with Reliance Industries Limited, which is behind the R|Elan next-generation fabric, United Nations in India and Lakmé Fashion Week.