Amiri has announced Cape Town-based designer Lukhanyo Mdingi as the winner of this year’s Amiri Prize, and will be rewarded with a year-long mentorship and 100,000 dollar grant.

Selected from nine finalists by Mike Amiri alongside an esteemed panel of judges, Mdingi established his brand in 2015 with an ethos of working closely with skilled artisans and local communities; learning from tradition and progressing these techniques through contemporary craft.

“We’re incredibly thankful to the Amiri Prize, its Jury Committee and Mike Amiri for the
immeasurable opportunity extended to the Lukhanyo Mdingi label,” says Mdingi of winning the Award. “We look forward to receiving the fundamental guidance needed to steadily grow our Independent business and vision.”

On selecting Mdingi, Mike Amiri says: “This year’s talent was exceptional, and it was difficult to select a frontrunner, but Lukhanyo’s vision and approach stood out to all of us. His recent collections have seen him fine-tune a singular aesthetic and sensibility, but just as commendable is the purpose behind what he does — for his wider community and culture – and this resonates with serious brand potential.”

The Amiri Prize was founded in 2021 as an incubator designed to encourage, nurture and champion unique, diverse voices who hadn’t necessarily followed a traditional route into the industry, echoing Mike Amiri’s own journey. Mdingi follows US designer Lou Badger, who won the inaugural 2021 Prize.