The final stage of the event saw an unprecedented group celebration of the talent of ten young designers from all over the world, whose works are to become part of the collection of ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion, the first contemporary fashion museum in Italy.
The ten new design promises are:
- Cindy Zhaohan Li – China
- Gabrielle Szwarcenberg – Belgium
- Macy Grimshaw – France
- Maximilian Raynor – United Kingdom
- Mijoda Dajomi – Germany
- Naya El Ahdab – France
- Patrick Taylor – United Kingdom
- Qianhan Liu – China
- Yifan Yu – China
- Zhuen Cai – China
Today, the 10 designers, awarded the ITS Creative Excellence Award 10x10x10, had the opportunity to present their collections to the press and an international jury made up of respected figures from the worlds of fashion, art and culture, including British punk icon Dame Zandra Rhodes, celebrity stylist Tom Eerebout and Andrea Rosso, sustainability ambassador for the OTB group.
The ITS Contest 2025 Jury
A panel of personalities from the worlds of fashion, art and culture guided the designer selection process, carrying forward the vision that has made ITS Contest one of the world’s most prestigious scouting platforms.
In the final stages of the competition, new standout figures joined the jury, ready to assess the talent of this edition’s young creatives.
It is made up of:
- Andrea Rosso – OTB and Diesel Sustainability Ambassador
- Barbara Franchin – President, Fondazione ITS
- Carlo Giordanetti – CEO, Swatch Art Peace Hotel
- Emanuele Coccia – Philosopher
- Luca Rizzi – Pitti Immagine Tutoring & Consulting Director, e-P Summit Project Leader
- Marco Sammicheli – Curator of the Design, Fashion and Crafts sector at Triennale Milano / Director of Museo del Design Italiano
- Maria Sole Ferragamo – Designer
- Mark C. O’Flaherty – Interiors & Portrait Photographer and Author
- Massimo Nicosia – Creative Director, Ready-To-Wear Sport Performance Hub, EssilorLuxottica
- Matteo Ward – CEO of Inside Out Fashion, Textiles & Home
- Orsola de Castro – Co-Founder, Fashion Revolution and Estethica
- Sara Sozzani Maino – Creative Director, Fondazione Sozzani
- Serge Carreira – Director of Emerging Brands Initiative, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode
- Sonia Veroni – CEO Modateca Deanna and Director, Master in Creative Knitwear Design – Accademia Costume & Moda
- Stefania Ricci – Director, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo and Fondazione Ferragamo
- Stefano Gallici – Creative Director, Ann Demeulemeester
- Tom Eerebout – Stylist & Fashion Consultant
- Valentina Maggi – Director of Creative Practice, Floriane de St. Pierre & Associès
- Dame Zandra Rhodes – Fashion and Textile Designer and Founder of the Fashion and Textile Museum
The special ITS Jury’s Rewarding Honours was therefore awarded to Maximilian Raynor.
The jury rewards the energy and will with which the designer wants to achieve his professional goals, declared with passion. The jury believes that in Maximilian Raynor’s research there are powerful historical traces and a conscious use of artistic codes that come from theater and music. Raynor’s work is enriched by experimentation with materials and the logic of self-production.
It represents a specific and lasting commitment by the ITS Foundation, which translates into mentorship, professional networking and access to opportunities in the industry, accompanying the designer in the following steps of their creative journey.
Meret Olympia Salome Baer from the Royal College of Art in London was also awarded the ITS Fashion Film Award for her fashion film ‘Lactic Acid’, selected by Lee Swillingham, founder of the London-based creative agency Suburbia.
ITS Rewarding Honours: customised experiences and scholarships
The designers continue on their Italian adventure, which began with a creative residency in Trieste and Villa Manin, the pride of Friuli Venezia Giulia, with a series of Rewarding Honours, i.e. experiences offered by the partners of ITS Contest 2025 to enrich their cultural and professional resources and accompany their first steps in the world of fashion.
Cindy Zhaohan Li, Gabrielle Szwarcenberg, Maximilian Raynor, Mijoda Dajomi, Naya El Ahdab, Patrick Taylor, Qianhan Liu, Yifan Yu, Zhuen Cai, MAcy Grimshaw - Rewarding Honours Powered by OTB
The OTB Group offers a training day visit of the headquarters of OTB and Staff International to the young designers who will be able to see first-hand the production stages of the garments and accessories of the Group’s brands.
Macy Grimshaw – Rewarding Honours Powered by Swatch
Swatch offers a unique experience in Venice. The programme for the selected designer will begin with an exclusive workshop at the historic Palazzo Mocenigo, home to the Museum of Textiles, Costume and Perfume, with privileged access to the palace’s invaluable archives. Swatch will then take the designer on an exclusive journey through Venice’s artistic heritage across the centuries—from the glass mosaics of the Orsoni Furnace to the luxury fabrics of the Rubelli Foundation, and the passion for modern art at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, with the rare opportunity to meet key figures from each institution. The experience will end with an immersive visit to the history and beauty of San Giorgio Maggiore. Accommodation costs will be fully covered
Gabrielle Szwarcenberg – Rewarding Honours Powered by Vogue Eyewear parte di EssilorLuxottica
Rewarding Honours powered by Vogue Eyewear, part of EssilorLuxottica, will include: a full day at the prestigious EssilorLuxottica Tortona Experience Center. The selected designer will present the project to an internal audience and engage with attendees during a dedicated networking session. Additionally, the selected designer will be immersed in the operational dynamics of the EssilorLuxottica Design Team, experiencing the creative and design process of the eyewear category.
Zhuen Cai – Rewarding Honours Powered by Camera Nazionale Della Moda
Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana offers a scholarship worth €5,000 awarded based on the designer’s creativity with particular attention to the theme of sustainability, in its broadest meanings of product sustainability, respect for the environment and social sustainability.
Yfan Yu – Rewarding Honours Powered by Fondazione Ferragamo
Fondazione Ferragamo is offering € 7,000 to a designer to be invested on the Designer’s activity. The choice will be made based on the knowledge of materials and innovation.
Macy Grimshaw – Rewarding Honours Powered by Fondazione Sozzani
Fondazione Sozzani offers one designer the opportunity to present their work in its spaces during 2025. The designer will be hosted free of charge, and Fondazione Sozzani will provide support for the exhibition setup and communication activities. Accommodation expenses will be fully covered.
Patrick Taylor – Rewarding Honours Powered by Modateca Deanna
Modateca Deanna offers an exclusive one-week experience at Modateca Deanna, where the designer will have the opportunity to conduct research at the Modateca’s archives and delve deeper into knitwear techniques. The designer will also have the chance to visit some of the leading yarn mills, knitting factories, and workshops in the area, exploring all the key stages involved in bringing a creative idea to life. Modateca Deanna will cover travel and accommodation and company visits costs.
Patrick Taylor – Rewarding Honours Powered by Pitti Tutoring & Consulting
Pitti Tutoring & Consulting Special Experience includes a 6-months mentorship program of Tutoring & Consulting activities, such as support in defining and establishing one’s brand and/or identifying and analyzing the most suitable career path for the winning designer. Meetings (via video call or in-person) will take place every two weeks to assess progress and equip the designer with valuable experience, enabling them to approach their career in the best possible way.
Naya El Ahdab – Rewarding Honours Powered By WRÅD
WRÅD will give a designer the chance to take part of a 2-day tour of innovative textile enterprises in Italy, the products and processes of which can provide further guidance and inspiration.
