Per tradition, the Institut Français de la Mode opened men’s Paris Fashion Week by giving its newly minted BA grads a sendoff show at Cité de la Mode et du Design. In addition to being the school’s home base, the decks of that sinuous, sprawling neon green complex on the Left Bank boasts what is probably the longest runway this side of Charles de Gaulle airport.
Of the 70 graduates in the Class of ’25, 30 fledgling designers were selected by a jury of fashion professionals for their creative maturity, execution, coherence, and mastery of volume and proportion. The outcome was nothing if not eclectic—by turns poignant, clever, tongue-in-cheek, silly, or striking. But there were also some fairly consistent throughlines, in weaving and trompe l’oeil, for example, and several standout exercises in upcycling, construction, and tweaking the classic codes of French chic.
“We really wanted to bring it all back to the body, to a reflection on sensuality,” offered Hervé Yvrenogeau, who co-directs IFM’s BA program with Thierry Rondenet. “Since it’s their first collection, they are masters of their own ideas and research, but there was really a lot of exploration about what clothing can be, beyond sculptural,” he added, noting that this year’s crop stands out as a particularly tight-knit group. “They really learned and grew together and helped each other a lot; they understand that being in fashion is not just about becoming the artistic director, there is room for everybody,” added Rondenet.
Given the state of the world they are graduating into, such solidarity will serve them well. “Some of them had moments of doubt about why they are going into fashion, given the state of the world, Yvrenogeau allowed. “In the end, I think they understood that optimism comes from creating: if there is no creation, that’s when the world really falls apart. The whole point is to express and arouse emotion, whether it’s doubt, disgust, desire, or joy.”
There was all of that, and especially joy, on Les Docks. But if there was one message this class really wanted to land, it was political. For the finale, every grad wore a tee emblazoned, alternately: “No civilians should pay for their government’s choices,” and “Stop financing wars.”
