"The school and its palpable energy are very impressive. It is really inspiring to work with institutions like this one and we are delighted that the Pforzheim design students are taking part in the first edition of the LVADGI," says Baron Osuna enthusiastically. To launch a new Louis Vuitton competition, its project manager traveled to Pforzheim and visited the School of Design at Pforzheim University.

LVADGI stands for Louis Vuitton Accessories Design Graduates Initiative and is a newly launched recruiting and support program of the French luxury goods company. 24 design schools from all over Europe were selected for the program, and the Pforzheim School of Design is the only German participant in the project. The company was won over by the interdisciplinary approach to teaching, the interlinking of creative Master's and Bachelor's programs, but also the Accessoire Design course, which is unique in the German-speaking world. Design professor Thomas Gerlach is in charge of the project: "Louis Vuitton held very interesting preliminary talks with me: about how new and creative things can be created and how we can empower our students. Louis Vuitton is looking for talented people who can become global players – how will luxury develop in the future, what codes, materials and design languages do we need, and what can we use to inspire a global brand like Louis Vuitton? These questions and the honor of being selected are very inspiring for us. Pforzheim has moved a little closer to Paris."

Louis Vuitton representative Baron Osuna experienced over the course of twelve hours the full diversity of design at the university: guided tours of the studios and workshops, a presentation of the competition in a packed auditorium and many discussions with students and teaching staff. "At Louis Vuitton, we want to broaden our focus. Even though up to 80% of our business consists of accessories, we are not only targeting accessory and product designers. On the contrary, we are looking for designers who are open to multidisciplinary work." This is a good opportunity for the students to get to know such a large fashion house. Fashion student Lennart Bohle: "Regardless of how it turns out in the end, the program is a good way to draw attention to your own work." Anabel Faas is studying Industrial Design and is also taking part: "For me, the project is my first design competition. I think the interaction with such a renowned brand, as well as the support from the university, is great. I'm very excited about the different and interdisciplinary approaches." Valentin Langer is studying fashion and is the communication link between the Pforzheim participants and LV: "I'm excited to find out how this large and established brand works and what expectations they have of future designers. The Louis Vuitton team is very approachable and very open. We can bring in the zeitgeist of young people, that's the goal." Everyone is also keen to challenge the brand in new ways and provide fresh impetus.

The participants have a tight work schedule ahead of them. They will submit their designs in January, followed by a pre-selection process. In May, the Louis Vuitton jury will select the five winners. A special award awaits them: a position in the Louis Vuitton design team in Paris.