The future of fashion design at FASHION GRADUATE ITALIA 2019

4 intense days of graduate fashion shows, exhibit spaces, workshops, talks and events completely focused on the talent of the young students coming from the some of the best Italian fashion schools. With over 7000 visitors, FASHION GRADUATE ITALIA 2019 comfirmed its relevance in the landscape of fashion events and surprised once more for the very high level of the performances.

From 27th to 30th October, the wide spaces of BASE Milano were transformed into the center of the world for hundreds of young students coming from the best fashion schools part of PSFM Piattaforma Sistema Formativo Moda, joined together to give life to Fashion Graduate Italia 2019.

A special fashion week (and one of my favorite event of the year!) in which the young students have the opportunity to show their works in all the ways possible and the schools can create a real network, joining forces with a spirit of sharing and a sane competitiveness.

Fashion Graduate Italia 2019 in the exhibit spaces of at Base Milano

The numbers of this third edition are impressive. More than 7000 visitors mainly coming from high schools, 11 different workshops to attracting new possible students, 4 talk panels with important professionals to speak about the future of fashion design and communication, 2 portfolio reviews and 1 job speed date event, 19 fashion schools and as many fashion shows, 1050 outfits, 3 days for the fitting and 4 of shows and events, 26 models, 10 make-up artists and 10 hair stylists, 30 people working in the organization curated by Studio Rosemary Ferrari, 18 partners and supporters.

The moments of Portfolio Review with the students at Fashion Graduate Italia 2019 (Photo Credits: Fashion Graduate Italia)

But Fashion Graduate Italia is not only a question of numbers. It’s a moment of intense emotions for the young fashion designers who, for the first time, showcase their final collections in a prestigious catwalk. To have their moment of visibility and, why not?, maybe to find a job.

The 4 days of events, open to public for better involving people and high school students, in fact have seen three important moments:

the Portfolio Review, with Sara Sozzani Maino ((Head of Vogue Talents), Manuela Brini (Director of Creative Talent Acquisition and Development at LVMH Group), Elisabeth Dieupart (Director of the Developments Eyes on Talent) and Daniele Pelucchi (Talent Acquisition Manager of the Kering Group)
the Job Speed Date, event held in 31st October and reserved to selected students, made in collaboration with Confindustria Moda and Umana
the Award Ceremony of the FGI Contest, reserved to the students of high schools.

THE BACKSTAGE

The backstage of the fashion shows at Fashion Graduate Italia 2019

In the backstage, a few hours before the beginning of the graduate fashion shows, there was a strange and almost quite atmosphere. All the collections, hung on the standers divided in ordered rows with the tag of each school on, awaited their moment.

Me in the backstage of Fashion Graduate Italia 2019

Hundreds the styles, that represented the best of new Italian creativity in every form possible. There were vinyl skirts and waistcoats in bouclé wool and feathers, colorful raw wool coats and long fringes, hyperbolic shapes made in tweed, tulle mixed to snake leather, ethnic prints reinterpreted in a contemporary way and neon pleats, Victorian-style shapes and rubber embroideries, very chic sequin surfaces on giant wool or transparent PVC.

An incredible wardrobe that could drive any shopaholic mad.

The backstage of the fashion shows at Fashion Graduate Italia 2019

THE WORKSHOPS

The millinery workshop hed by Afol Moda at Fashion Graduate Italia 2019

The workshops were very important for the event, because they attracted many young students coming from high schools, who had a direct approach to the method of each fashion school and learned some useful tricks for creating or projecting. In the second floor of BASE Milano, the schools organized 11 workshops regarding different aspects of fashion training, from millinery to styling, menswear design, moulage technique or shoes sketching.

The workshops: Styling by Ferrari Fashion School, Menswear by Istituto Secoli, Shoes Sketching by Arsutoria, Fashion Magazine by IED and Hat Making by NABA (Photo Credits: Fashion Graduate Italia 2019, Elisa Gibaldi)

TALK PANELS

Another important part of Fashion Graduate Italia was that of the talks and conferences, in which prestigious names of fashion system spoke about different topics. This year the protagonists of the talks were mainly sustainability and communication, with the partecipation of professionals like Costanza Cavalli Etro (founder of Fashion Film Festival Milano), Max Vadakul (fashion photographer), Angelo (founder of Sciuraglam on Instagram) and Nicolò Cerioni (stylist and founder of Sugarkane Productions).

Costanza Cavalli Etro and the Max Vadakul during the talk about the Fashion Film Festival Milano (Photo Credits: Fashion Graduate Italia 2019)

THE FASHION SHOWS

These 4 days were characterized by a very intense schedule of fashion shows, that involved 21 different fashion schools presenting their graduate collections and partecipating to other interesting initiatives.

For the first time, thanks to the support of Comune di Milano and the Mexican Govern, the event opened its door to an international cooperation, involving 4 young students coming from Istituto Secoli and Guadalajara University for the fashion show “Glocal – Milan meets Guadalajara” (soon in this blog the interview with the protagonists).

“Glocal – Milan meets Guadalajara”, the event made in collaboration with Istituto Secoli, Comune di Milano and Guadalajara University

Fashion Graduate Italia focused also on eco-fashion, creating a special fashion show intitled “Sustainable Visions”, in which 16 fashion schools presented the capsule collection of some selected students who, through their personal point of view, interpreted the theme of sustainability and ethical fashion giving life to amazing outfits and especially transforming eco-fashion into a very glamourous product.

“Sustainable Visions” fashion show at Fashion Graduate Italia 2019

THE EXHIBITION

First of all, Fashion Graduate Italia was the occasion for the fashion school to show their DNA, setting their booths with everything that could explain their vision. Because every school was different in terms of style, training programs and policy, the beauty of an event like this was exactly that of comparing the various schools’ identities and having an idea of what they want to teach to an aspiring young designer or stylist.

So the exhibition featured visual installations, video, live performance of the students, portfolios and capsule collections. An unmissable occasion for who wanted to discover something more and to have a direct approach with the schools, speaking directly with directors, teachers and just graduated students.

The exhibition spaces of the schools at Fashion Graduate Italia 2019

THE FASHION SCHOOLS

PSFM Piattaforma Sistema Formativo Moda called 19 among the best fashion schools part of its circuit. Every school presented its educational offer to a large public of aspiring students, showcasing the talent of its best students through the fashion show and the exhibition. Here the schools involved:

Continue reading The Fashion Propellant, soon you’ll can discover all the fashion shows and the young designers who showcased their talet at Fashion Graduate Italia 2019. Stay tuned!