In Milan, during the most recent Fashion Week, IED—the European Institute of Design—presented “The Process,” a new chapter featuring the final fashion show by 14 students.
To mark its 60th anniversary, the renowned fashion and design school showcased 60 looks on the runway—a synthesis of the 13 collections created by Amina Aubakirova, Camilla Barazzetta, Keyra Cannas, Giulio Censori, Costanza Barbieri, Greta Ciabrelli, Mattia Ginexi, Corinne Librizzi, Nicoletta Marazia, Michelle Paglione, Alessandro Paolucci, Andrea Spinelli, Zeminghui Zhu, and Maria Zybaczynski, who have reached the end of their final year of the three-year program.
Each student dedicated a total of at least 1,500 hours to the program, including lectures, workshops, design, and individual work, guided by a total of up to 50 faculty members and tutors.
For this occasion, in addition to presenting each student’s collection, they also showcased “junction looks”—outfits featuring elements from multiple designers—in a form of dialogue that goes beyond the conventions of a traditional graduate show.
In this way, the different proposals interacted with one another, and the looks were deconstructed and interwoven, demonstrating how the image of each collection transformed and amplified the next.
“The Process offers a shared narrative in which the differences between the various styles remain recognizable and, at the same time, come into dialogue with one another,” explained Umberto Sannino, head of the fashion school at IED Milan, who served as creative director for this new evolution.
“Even through a fashion show, the school restores a dreamlike quality to fashion and the capacity to take risks, while also showcasing everything that precedes the final result—research, discipline, dialogue, and method,” he added.
“As a school, we want to draw attention to the invisible dimension of fashion, which goes beyond what is worn. We want to create a system for interpreting the present, giving shape to new imaginaries, and connecting bodies, materials, knowledge, and identities,” commented Danilo Venturi, director of IED Milan.
“Schools are an integral part of the fashion system and represent one of the first links in its supply chain. Being at Milan Fashion Week means recognizing the role that education rightfully deserves,” he added, noting that IED’s Fashion department alone enrolls approximately 1,500 students each year—equivalent to about one-third of the Institute’s total student body. He also explained that the school succeeds in its objectives because 90% of graduates enter the workforce within a year of completing their studies
Before the fashion show, the young creatives also had the opportunity to meet Danielle Kwateng, executive managing editor of Harper’s Bazaar US, for a special mentorship session.
“Fashion stems from an essential function: dressing people, conveying identity, and embodying an act of care. At a time when images are produced ever more rapidly, artisanal know-how, experience with materials, responsible decision-making, and the time needed to develop an idea are regaining their value,” explained the executive.
“Engaging with other perspectives is a way to understand a fundamental truth about fashion: nothing happens in isolation. From research to execution, every project takes shape thanks to the people and skills encountered along the way,” added Kwateng.