Hyères Festival 2026: the Alliance supports five emerging fashion talents with European Flax-Linen
September 24, 2026
For the 41st edition of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories, the Alliance is renewing its commitment to emerging designers. With the support of eight members, five fashion finalists have chosen to incorporate European Flax-Linen into their collections.
Among the Fashion competition finalists, five designers - Brais Albor Rodriguez, Dieter Vlasich Obermann, Jennifer Milleder, Loïs Cousin and Farnia Salim - explore the material through their own creative worlds and distinctive approaches to fashion.
Menswear, womenswear and unisex collections alike demonstrate the diversity of creative and technical expressions that European Flax-Linen can support.
The Alliance supports emerging designers through European flax expertise and craftsmanship
As part of its ongoing commitment to emerging fashion designers, the Alliance brings together the expertise of its members - European weavers, spinners and knitters - in support of the next generation of talent.
For this edition of the Festival, eight Alliance member companies are making their expertise and materials available: B&T, Libeco, Lineaesse, Marini, Nova Fides, Rechberger, Santanderina and Stoker Mills.
Bridging emerging designers and companies across the sector, the Alliance facilitates access to materials, textile innovations and certified European Flax expertise, in line with each candidate’s creative vision.
Through these collaborations, the Alliance continues to support emerging talent and builds bridges between a new generation of designers and the expertise of the European flax industry.
A long-term partnership
As a longstanding partner of the Festival, the Alliance is supporting five of the ten finalists in the Fashion competition this year, in collaboration with eight of its member companies.
This three-year renewable partnership aims in particular to:
- encourage emerging designers to discover and experiment with European Flax-Linen certified under MASTERS OF FLAX FIBRE™ and/or MASTERS OF LINEN™;
- help bring their projects to life through a European Flax-Linen allocation for the collections presented to the Festival jury.
Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp certifications
Two origin and traceability certifications powered and managed by the Alliance recognise the expertise of the European Flax-Linen industry.
Masters of FLAX FIBRE™
The Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ fibre origin and traceability certification attests to carefully managed agricultural practices and highlights the unique expertise of European fibre producers - farmers and scutchers.
- Scutching is the process used to extract flax fibre from the plant,
- The certification covers every stage of processing, from fibre through to finished products for all markets.
Masters of LINEN™
The Masters of LINEN™ certification recognises European spinners, weavers and knitters with outstanding flax expertise who commit to prioritising European Flax-Linen in their sourcing
Masters of LINEN™ certified flax ensures that all stages of cultivation and processing are carried out by European companies, from Masters of FLAX FIBRE™certified fibre through to yarn and fabric.
The five Fashion finalists supported by the Alliance
During the Festival, the selected finalists, chosen by a prestigious jury, have the opportunity to present their collections to industry professionals and the general public through showrooms at Villa Noailles and a fashion show.
Brais Albor Rodriguez - Espagne
Menswear collection
Spanish designer Brais Albor Rodriguez is based in Milan and originally from Galicia, a region that remains an important reference point in his work.
Spanish designer Brais Albor Rodriguez is based in Milan and originally from Galicia, a region that remains an important reference point in his work.
His work questions traditional representations of masculinity and established body standards in menswear. Combining tailoring and underwear, he designs garments adapted to body shapes that are often underrepresented by conventional sizing.
His approach revolves around four notions: community, avant-garde, irony and normalisation.
The project :
The collection explores a form of masculinity freed from stereotypes, capable of being both strong and gentle, confident and vulnerable.
Clothing is designed to accompany rather than constrain the body, through construction and tailoring adapted to different body shapes.
The collection draws in particular on the Golden Fleece, the story of Franz Reichelt, the “flying tailor”, and the film Huevos de Oro by Bigas Luna.
Flight, falling, risk-taking and protection inform silhouettes in which volume, layering and construction envelop and shape the body.
Project created with the support of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp and its members: Libeco, Lineaesse and Marini Industrie.
Dieter Vlasich Obermann - Mexique / Allemagne
Unisex collection
Mexican artist and designer based in London, Dieter Vlasich Obermann works at the intersection of textiles, sculpture and installation.
Trained in fashion and textiles at Central Saint Martins, as well as through experimental fashion houses and creative studios in Paris, Amsterdam and London, his work explores the links between ecological knowledge, the transmission of craftsmanship and storytelling, notably through long-term exchanges with artisan communities.
The project:
Entitled The Finite in the Infinite, his collection explores the transmission of skills and knowledge across generations.
It is based in particular on a collaboration with a community of embroiderers in Piste, Yucatán, working with cross-stitch, and combines craft, memory, natural references and contemporary technologies.
The silhouettes bring together traditional techniques, materials and embellishment in an approach in which clothing becomes a meeting point between heritage and contemporary creativity.
Project created with the support of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp and its members: Stoker Mills, Textil Santanderina and Libeco.
A word from the designer
“I used flax in the form of yarn for embroidery, as well as naturally dyed and pleated fabrics, while exploring different flax and hemp textiles to create volume. I also experimented with germinating flax seeds directly on the textile, extending the dialogue between craftsmanship, material and nature that lies at the heart of my collection.”
Jennifer Milleder - Austria
Womenswear collection
Austrian designer Jennifer Milleder works at the boundary between clothing and artistic expression, characterised by sculptural silhouettes, textile experimentation and a strong conceptual dimension.
A graduate of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, where she studied under Hussein Chalayan, Lucie and Luke Meier, and Grace Wales Bonner, she also developed her expertise at Iris van Herpen’s studio in Amsterdam.
Her work draws on personal narratives, Austrian rural heritage and contemporary art, while reinterpreting traditional techniques and existing materials through contemporary processes.
The project:
Entitled The Garden, her collection is rooted in the designer’s memories and the family environment of her childhood in the Austrian mountains.
Through an approach where craftsmanship, memory and experimentation come together, Jennifer Milleder transforms references and materials connected to her personal history into sculptural silhouettes.
Antique tapestries, floral motifs, feathers and inherited elements are reinterpreted and displaced to create a wardrobe that is both intimate and contemporary.
Project created with the support of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp and its members: Rechberger and Libeco.
Loïs Cousin - France
Menswear collection
Aged 24, Loïs Cousin is a French designer based in Paris. He grew up in the Paris suburbs in an artistic environment shaped in particular by his architect parents.
This background has fuelled his interest in volume, structure and urban architectural culture.
In 2023, he founded the menswear label MORE & MORE, whose creative world draws on street art, hip-hop culture and architecture.
The project:
With his Autumn-Winter 2026 collection ALKYDE, Loïs Cousin develops his creative world around three themes: transparency, structure and raw graphics.
References to urban culture and architecture are omnipresent, notably through elements borrowed from construction sites.
Tarpaulins, paint and silicone are repurposed as materials and graphic expressions, while exaggerated topstitching, seam lines and panels emphasise the construction of the garments.
Textile manipulation, relief, geometry and layering come together to create a technical wardrobe deeply rooted in the world of underground streetwear.
Project created with the support of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp and its members: Lineaesse.
A word from the designer
“I chose a canvas-like flax fabric with a coated surface that has a matte, white, almost waxed appearance. I was drawn to its feel, drape and the way it reflects light, which integrate perfectly with the other materials and the identity of my collection.”
Farnia Salim - Iran
Womenswear collection
Originally from Iran, Farnia Salim grew up in the United Arab Emirates and now lives in Italy. Moving between different cultures has deeply shaped her creative perspective.
Her highly personal work draws on memories, culture and everyday emotions.
She explores the contrasts between heritage and innovation, nostalgia and looking towards the future, with clothing becoming a language through which past and present can be connected.
The project :
Intitulée The In-Between Homes, sa collection traduit son expérience d’une vie entre plusieurs cultures et interroge la notion de « chez soi ».
Farnia Salim y confronte son attachement à l’Iran à la liberté qu’elle expérimente lorsqu’elle vit à l’étranger, notamment dans sa manière de s’habiller et de mener sa vie.
La collection cherche ainsi un équilibre entre ces deux mondes, en mettant en lumière les éléments de son héritage qui lui apportent fierté et joie, tout en exprimant un sentiment d’espoir pour l’avenir.
Cette dualité culmine dans le dernier look : deux silhouettes reliées entre elles par des franges, pensées comme un pont entre les deux vêtements et les deux « maisons » qui façonnent son identité.
Project created with the support of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp and its members: Lineasse.
A word from the designer
“I used flax in three looks - a dress, an outerwear piece and a skirted ensemble - while primarily retaining its natural beige tone, whose authenticity and raw texture I particularly appreciate. I also explored its possibilities through dyeing, embroidery and the use of flax yarns transformed into fringes.”
About the 41st International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories - Hyères, 15-18 October 2026
Villa Noailles - Hyères :
Founded in 1986, the International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories in Hyères is recognised as the world’s oldest competition dedicated to young fashion professionals.
Each year, public-sector representatives, professionals from the fashion and cultural industries, influencers and decision-makers from major brands, trend agencies, journalists and influencers from France and around the world support the initiative and take part in the event.
Since 2016, the Festival has also supported new accessory designers, reinforcing its role as a launchpad for the next generation of contemporary creative talent.
The 2026 Fashion competition jury
For this new edition, the Fashion competition jury is chaired by Chemena Kamali, Chief Creative Officer at Chloé.
Born in Germany in 1981 and a graduate of the Master of Arts in Fashion at Central Saint Martins in London, she has worked for Chloé on several occasions and served as Design Director for women’s ready-to-wear at Saint Laurent, before returning to Chloé as Chief Creative Officer in October 2023.
The ten designers selected for the 2026 Fashion competition
- Brais Albor Rodriguez (Espagne),
- Sofia Castellon (Mexique - USA),
- Yui Chen (Chine),
- Loïs Cousin (France),
- Rachel Luurssen (Pays-Bas),
- Jennifer Milleder (Autriche),
- Farnia Salim (Iran),
- Dieter Vlasich Obermann (Mexique - Allemagne),
- Matil Vanlint (Belgique),
- Xiao Xu (Chine).
