At this year’s 39th Festival d’Hyères, a fresh wave of innovation and sustainability hit the runway, and it had the unmistakable stamp of Mercedes-Benz. The luxury automotive giant, known for more than just sleek cars, once again championed sustainable fashion with its fourth Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Mentorship. From an impressive cohort of young designers — including Dolev Elron, Fabian Kis-Juhasz, Gaëlle Halloo Lang, Julie Mouly-Pommerol, Kenshiro Suzuki, LA CAGE, Lilian Navarro, Romain Bichot, Tal Maslavi, and Logan Monroe Goff — the latter emerged as the winner, taking home the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize.
Goff’s collection stood out not just for its aesthetics but for the mindful integration of responsible practices — a testament to the mentorship’s mission to foster a new generation of designers who value sustainability as much as creativity. The mentorship, led by fashion sustainability powerhouses Orsola de Castro and Tamsin Blanchard from Estethica, helped equip participants with the tools to reshape the future of fashion. And this year’s participants rose to the challenge. “The group of designers this year was particularly exciting […] the level was very high. This initiative becomes stronger each season, and we couldn’t be prouder of the cohort and the alumni we have mentored over the years,” shared de Castro and Blanchard, underscoring the growing momentum behind the initiative.
Goff’s work didn’t just win the hearts of the jury, led by Courrèges’ Artistic Director Nicolas Di Felice, but also resonated with the festival’s ethos — where fashion meets innovation. The winning collection, alongside the other finalists, was featured in a campaign for Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming CLA model, making its debut in a playful “Erlkönig” camouflage look. It’s not every day that fashion and automotive design collide so stylishly, but this collaboration brought the two worlds together in a uniquely cinematic way, paying homage to the Côte d’Azur’s flair for glamour.
Reflecting on his win, Goff said, “I’m elated to win this prize, and I view it as the vehicle for beginning to get my ideas out into the world. It’s only up from here, and the platform of this festival and prize has given me a new standard for how I craft and present my work.”
For Mercedes-Benz, it’s more than just awarding a prize — it’s about raising the bar for responsible design. As Rita Felder, Director of Communication & Marketing Strategy, put it: “We feel privileged to further raise awareness around responsible fashion design and sustainability with our Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize.”
Watch the campaign here.
photography. Thibaut Grevet, Lukas Müller
words. Gennaro Costanzo
