Nicolas Di Felice and Achilles Ion Gabriel to head 39th Hyères Festival fashion jury

The 2024 Hyères Festival promises to be highly international and exceptionally exciting. Indeed, this year’s competition for emerging talent has decided to entrust the chairmanship of its various juries to three of the most influential figures in the fashion and photography scene. Specifically, Nicola Di Felice for the fashion category, Achilles Ion Gabriel for accessories, and Coco Capitán for photography.

The announcement was made on Wednesday, January 24, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. On this occasion, the founder and general manager of the event, Jean-Pierre Blanc, officially launched the 39th edition of the International Festival of Fashion, Photography, and Accessories in Hyères, which will take place from October 10 to 13, 2024. He also unveiled the selected finalists and the composition of the juries.

Leading the creative direction at Courrèges since 2020, Nicolas Di Felice is one of the most closely watched designers among the younger generations. In just four years, he has successfully revitalized the fashion house owned by Artemis, the Pinault family’s holding company (Kering). The 40-year-old Belgian stylist, who hails from Charleroi, graduated from La Cambre before honing his skills at Balenciaga, subsequently working for Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton.

Achilles Ion Gabriel is also regarded as one of the most compelling designers of the moment. Much like Nicolas Di Felice at Courrèges, his creations have enjoyed significant commercial success. The Finnish designer specialized in footwear, who has been at the creative helm of the Spanish label Camper since 2020, recently launched his own ready-to-wear brand during Pitti Uomo.

The role of presiding over the photography jury falls to another rising star. At 31 years old, the Spanish artist and photographer Coco Capitán garnered early recognition from fashion houses for her poetic and socially engaged images, at times tinged with irony, following the publication of her work in the most renowned independent magazines. She has notably collaborated with Gucci.