Rise, and Shine – ITS Contest is more about connection, less about competition

Ready to apply? Because this call is for you, and over 15,000 young designers like you have answered it in the last 23 years of our history, applying their creativity to ITS Contest for an opportunity to see their work shown to some of the most important fashion insiders in the industry. 

Last year, 900 applicants from 75 countries answered the call, hoping to make it through the selections. Among the over 700 designers that made it throughout the years are names responsible for shaping the recent history of contemporary fashion: from Demna, to Matthieu Blazy, Nicolas di Felice, ChopovaLowena, Richard Quinn, Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos. Countless others are working in senior positions, or side-by-side creative directors, at the most renowned brands in fashion one can think of.

The ITS Contest 2026 message is very clear: it is here telling you to react to such challenging times. Everyone should use their own talent to change things one tiny step at a time, and everyone is relevant if they commit to positive change, accepting everyone’s points of view and not forcing their own on everybody else. It is up to us to rise and shine!

Therefore, young emerging talents of the world, rise and shine!

Seems to us it would make no sense – and of course this will sound like a very partisan opinion but you know, lots of proof to back it up – for a young designer who is taking their first steps in the industry to not apply for ITS Contest. Put simply, it might be the most  invaluable opportunity to drop a business card in front of the most respected authorities in fashion, joining a network capable of shaping their career. For free! Nothing more is required other than applying with one’s graduation project. No theme or season to adhere to, no hidden cost in the application. 

Why wouldn’t you want to have your work shown to – let’s drop a few names from past juries – Raf Simons, Zandra Rhodes, Viktor & Rolf, Renzo Rosso, Sara Sozzani Maino, Silvia Fendi or Iris Van Herpen? And it isn’t just about showing your work to them, not anymore. 

This is perhaps the coolest evolution (revolution?) ITS Contest carried out in the last couple years: becoming less about competition and more about collaboration. Extending the experience of the selected designers from a 3-day event to a full blown 10-day Residency packed with workshops, seminars and 1-to-1 meetings led by the jurors themselves. A decisive shift reflecting a deeper commitment to breaking down physical, disciplinary, and cultural barriers. Fashion shouldn’t be a boxing ring… it should be a relay race: talents moving the baton forward, because they run together. 

This structural transformation was grounded in a thoughtful reflection: moving away from competition allowed for sustained relationships. The real prize is the lifelong connections forged during the intensive residency. All selected designers are now winners, and this is clearly expressed with the I:C 10 x 10 x 10 Award they all receive: €10,000, a 10-day residency program and inclusion in the dedicated 10-month exhibition in ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion.  

If you are ready to rise and shine and you firmly believe your creativity deserves to be seen, we will always be your home. All information to apply is the ITS Contest section of our website, and you have time until September 22. 

Follow your dreams and show us what your dreams are made of.