As the international flock arrived in Paris to catch what next season would look like, the Institut Français de la Mode offered a glimpse of what the more distant fashion horizon might hold.
On Monday, 26 students from 13 countries—spanning Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America—presented their graduate collections at the Cité de la Mode et du Design, the sinuous, lime green hybrid complex on the Left Bank near the Gare d’Austerlitz. The front row was a show in its own right, packed as it was with apex headhunters; award-winning costume designer Marylin Fitoussi of Emily in Paris fame; former LVMH Fashion Group chief Sidney Toledano; and top brass from Chanel and Dior, among others.
“I think there’s a reaction to fast fashion, and they’re really striving to stand out for their practices,” said Leyla Neri, director of the master’s program in fashion design. “They’re choosing to join an industry that’s accused of destroying the planet, so through their collections they’re trying to show the world that they are really diving into research; innovating materials; working with artisans to revive specialized skills; and showing the world that their vision is ethical, political, and socially engaged. They’re reacting to chaos and uncertainty by being empowered and creating beauty.”
On the runway, 16 fashion students and 10 knitwear specialists sent out six looks each, resulting in an hour-long show of intricate clothes and haute experimentation. Themes included the immigrant experience and belonging, sustainability, the natural world, consumerism, politics, the patriarchy, and the potential—and limitations—of AI in fashion design. By all accounts a cohesive group, they offered up a banquet of food for thought, served with exuberance, curiosity, poetry, poignancy, and resourcefulness.
After the show, Toledano slipped backstage to congratulate the IFM organizers. “I’ve worked with a few good designers, so I know how difficult it is,” he quipped. “There was freedom but perfect execution, creativity, and organization. From this, you see the next generation. I doubt that in 20 years people will be wearing suits like me.” In the meantime, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see a piece or two make its way over to a certain series on Netflix.
