The Pull&Bear Prize at Hyères International Festival
At the 41st edition of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories, Chinese photographer Xueling Chen was awarded the inaugural Pull&Bear Fashion Photography Prize, marking the beginning of a new collaboration between the brand and the festival. Established to champion emerging voices in contemporary fashion image-making, the prize offers a platform for young photographers to develop their practice beyond the competition.
Working between Europe and China, Chen's photographic universe explores the intersections of personal memory, feminine identity and urban life. Through saturated colours, direct flash and the nostalgic textures of early digital photography, her images capture fleeting moments of intimacy and the emotional connections between people and places. Moving between self-documentation and constructed imagery, her practice challenges conventional approaches to fashion photography, favouring an instinctive and deeply personal visual language.
As the first recipient of the Pull&Bear Fashion Photography Prize, Chen will have the opportunity to develop a new photographic project in collaboration with the brand. The project will culminate in a solo exhibition at villa Noailles during next year's festival, accompanied by a fanzine publication, a limited-edition T-shirt from the Pull&Bear x The Photographer Project series and an international campaign. Extending beyond the festival itself, the initiative reflects Pull&Bear's commitment to supporting a new generation of image-makers and bringing their work into wider cultural conversations.
We take a closer look at the 41st edition of the Hyères Festival, capturing the emerging talents, creative exchanges and moments that defined this year's celebration of fashion and photography.
Xueling Chen:
Other talents:
