Meet the finalists from ITS Contest 2025
Cindy Zhoahan Li’s toolkit of 4 brushes are designed to work together with varied components of the physique.
Courtesy Cindy Zhoahan Li
Launched in 2002, ITS Contest’s panel of specialists from the worlds of style, artwork, and tradition make it one of many world’s most prestigious scouting platforms for rising expertise. Earlier winners embody Balenciaga’s artistic director Demna, Matthieu Blazy now at Chanel, and Haizhen Wang—who runs his profitable label from Shanghai.
On March 20, ITS president Barbara Franchin introduced the ten finalists for ITS 2025. Every obtained €10,000 and took half in a artistic residency in Trieste. “That is the brand new technology,” she acknowledged. “They’re providing hope for this second which is dense with black holes.” This version, progressive designs and ideas included a seated gown from Naya El Ahdab, Gabrielle Szwarcenberg’s paper style, and headwear from Mijoda Dajomi designed to gather rainwater.
The closely-knit group additionally launched an surprising ITS 2025 manifesto on the ceremony, railing towards the hierarchical nature of the business predicated on the so-called “single spark” of a lone artistic director. “A model just isn’t a one-man band,” reads Maximilian Raynor, the receipt of the particular honour. “Be gone the times of invisible makers and unheard juniors.”
Yifan Yu was awarded the Fondazione Ferragamo prize at ITS 2025
Courtesy Yifan Yu
Of the ten, a powerful 4 had been Chinese language: Zhuen Cai from Wuhan, Cindy Zhaohan Li who grew up in Beijing, Chongqing-born Quanhan Liu, and Yifan Yu from Hangzhou.
On the night time, extra awards went to Yifan Yu whose menswear mission exploring the historical past and properties of fur alternate options, secured him the Fondazione Ferragamo prize— price an extra €7,000. Yu graduated with a BA from Donghua College which he adopted with MA Style Design Expertise on the London Faculty of Style.
As a part of the residency, Valentina Maggi, director of design observe on the recruitment company Floriane de St. Pierre et Associés, interviewed the ten, providing them a practical perspective of how the business works. Maggi was impressed by Yu’s maturity. “Yifan has a really exact standpoint that makes his assortment very constant and commercially able to go to the market now. “The supplies are extraordinary and his use of shade, print, and coverings are so uniquely particular” she explains. Yu’s is now based mostly in Shanghai and plans to begin his personal label.
Zhuen Cai’s gradual style assortment is impressed by a Chinse backyard and conventional Chinese language household life.
Courtesy Zhuen Cai
Modern Zhuen Cai received a scholarship price €5,000 from the Digital camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana (CNMI) for his give attention to accountability and sustainability actions. His work was based mostly on the idea of a Chinese language backyard which he makes use of as inspiration to research the connection between Chinese language ‘household’ tradition and the person with clothes.
In accordance with the CNMI’s worldwide model ambassador Sara Maino, Zhuen’s “persistence, sustainable working course of, and emphasis on gradual style” had been very important elements within the choice. Sooner or later, he will probably be supported by the CNMI to know extra about manufacturing processes. Zhuen was moreover awarded OTB’s coaching day—an opportunity to go to the style group’s headquarters to see varied manufacturing levels up shut.
Alongside OTB’s Andrea Russo, this yr’s jury of main designers, stylists, photographers, artists, journalists, and influencers, had been collectively “blown away” by Quanhan Liu’s “reference to Jap traditions and philosophies in her garments, and a relentless play with supplies.”
Quanhan Liu assortment was printed and textured to evoke wooden
Courtesy Quanhan Liu
Jury member Serge Carreira, director of rising manufacturers initiative on the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, highlighted many designers’ give attention to pure supplies like wooden together with Liu, noting: “She has an incredible idea with a message that can be tremendous technical and artistic.”
Following her European schooling (CSM and IFM), Liu used her masters as a route again to “reclaiming her Asian identification and to problem cliches and expectations.” By way of contrasting gentle and laborious tailoring, her work explored the connection between leather-based, wooden, and leaves in a mission that explores how nature impacts well-being. One look was created from leather-based offcuts dramatically reworked to resemble hundreds of fallen leaves. Liu is presently based mostly in Paris.
Cindy Zhoahan Li’s was honed on the London Faculty of Style’s MA Artefact.
Courtesy Cindy Zhoahan Li
Lastly, Cindy Zhaohan Li’s celebration of brushwear was honed on the London Faculty of Style’s MA Artefact. Her toolkit of 4 brushes was designed to work together with varied components of the physique in a step-by-step exploration of contact and sensation. In addition to impressing Carreira, Li’s celebration of the common-or-garden brush additionally spoke to Marco Sammicheli, Director of Museo del Design Italiano, who says it’s vital to spark the shock. “I liked her power and located numerous pleasure in her work. The best way she carved and molded the wooden could be very fascinating. I do know numerous work that went into these items by way of method. It’s a part of an present custom of objects that may supply and liberate your considering.”
Li, who lives in London, used the mission to problem-solve and says she struggles to categorize her work. “I’m a designer who begins from my very own perspective and the issues I skilled previously. I began off making jewellery and you’ll see this combine in my work. I’m not certain solely to equipment.”
Following the residency, all of the finalist’s work will probably be added to the archive of ITS Arcademy museum in Italy which is open to the general public.
Quanhan Líu’s look on show on the ITS Arcademy in Trieste.
Courtesy of ITS
