ITS Contest is proud to announce the winners of the 2023/24 edition, “Born to Create” – a celebration of innate creativity, and of the talent of a new generation of exceptional emerging designers.
An international Jury composed of international designers, curators, talent scouts, editors, and industry insiders, selected X creatives out of a total 22 finalists from all over the world.
“These creatives, positioned to influence the future of fashion, accessories, and jewellery design, embody a generation that scrutinises both itself and the world with critical clarity. They shift from perceiving creativity as a subject to regarding it as an object, employing art as both a medium of expression and a challenge.”, says ITS Contest founder Barbara Franchin.
The finalists’ and winners’ works will be featured in the “Born to Create” exhibition, running from March 28th, 2024 to January 6th, 2025 at ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion, Italy’s first museum dedicated to contemporary fashion, prior to being included in the museum’s permanent collection. The event will conclude with the ITS Public’s Choice Award, valued at €5,000, determined by votes from exhibition visitors.
“Born to Create” will run concurrently with “The Many Lives of a Garment,” an exhibition marking the second collaboration between ITS and curator Olivier Saillard. In dialogue with philosopher Emanuele Coccia, it explores our profound relationship with clothing, taking visitors on a journey from the personal wardrobe to the public museum display that features extraordinary works from the ITS Collection and everyday garments, including items graciously loaned by Charlotte Rampling and Tilda Swinton.
ITS Arcademy Award
€15,000 to the most creative, socially aware and innovative finalist project.
Awarded to Momoka Sato, Japan
Momoka Sato’s collection demonstrated a clear sense of identity, craft and appreciation for heritage. In addition, there were aspects of sustainability that can be harnessed into clothes that are consciously made and educate consumers. Also the portfolio presentation was impeccable
ITS Jury Special Award
€5,000 Awarded at the discretion of the ITS Contest Jury to a fashion, accessories, jewellery or artwork finalist.
Awarded to Ju Bao, China & Richard Farbey, United Kingdom
Ju Bao
We really loved the photography, music, editing and vibrant colors of this fashion film that right from the beginning sets the tone of the film and throws you into the street of Tokyo with a high vibe. The film shows the brand’s clothes through the protagonist of the story in a very organic way. The concept, direction and photography have been carried out in a professional way. The idea of the story, in such a short time, ends up to be open to free interpretation.
Richard Farbey
Richard Farbey demonstrated strong story-telling through jewelry which is a rare occurrence. It serves as a great case study for accessories that are more than just product.
ITS Fashion Film Award
€3,000 awarded by ITS to the best fashion film, selected among all ITS Contest applications
Awarded to Amina Galal, Israel
We selected AMINA GALAL as the winner of ITS fashion film selection as we found all the elements required to obtain a beautiful piece of work were put together in a perfect equilibrium. The direction, the photography, the edition, the music, the story, styling and casting worked together in a very right way, giving as a result a modern, engaging and cool video, leaving the audience willing to discover more about the brand. The film managed to create a bridge between worlds and cultures, displaying the collection as part of the story in a very organic way.
Special mentions:
Daniel Bosco – I asked god for a baby, he sent me a diamond
From the title we could see the sarcasm, the cutting edge and uniqueness that we really look forward in the pieces we see. We loved the film very much. It was really something new and disrupted, funny and “geniale”! It is the perfect example that creativity wins over budgets, when you have a brilliant idea and a talented and creative team, you can produce a piece of art without necessary having big resources. The styling, casting and art direction were sublime.
Takayuki Miyazaki – Lovely Misunderstandings
We really loved the photography, music, editing and vibrant colors of this fashion film that right from the beginning sets the tone of the film and throws you into the street of Tokyo with a high vibe. The film shows the brand’s clothes through the protagonist of the story in a very organic way. The concept, direction and photography have been carried out in a professional way. The idea of the story, in such a short time, ends up to be open to free interpretation.
ITS Digital fashion Award
€3,000 awarded by ITS to the best digital fashion project selected among all ITS Contest applications
Awarded to Yu Chen & Fanrui Sun, China
This work challenges the boundaries between humans and machines and explores the concept of “post-gender identity” in a world where technology and humanity merge. The fusion of fashion, motion capture, and CGI makes this project a dynamic and thought-provoking experience. The idea of a “post-gender utopia” and “seven days rituals” for pure cognition is a daring and liberating concept. What impressed us most is the great visual language of this piece. It’s not just digital fashion; it’s an immersive journey into a future where identity knows no bounds.
Special mention:
Mieko Tsuboi – I asked god for a baby, he sent me a diamond
Mieko Tsuboi’s creation stands out for its artistic and poetic ambiance that permeates the entire piece, and its ingenious integration of 3D into the real world. This innovative approach adds depth to the film, creating a special blend of digital and physical elements. What sets this work apart is the delicate interplay between surroundings and emotions. Tsuboi skillfully navigates this relationship, creating a nuanced and harmonious fusion within the narrative. The film unfolds like a visual poem, inviting viewers into a world where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur.
GO! 2025 Borderless Award powered by Regione FVG
€10,000 and the opportunity to be featured in a dedicated exhibition at ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion.
Awarded to Tomohiro Shibuki, Japan
For his ability to create fashion forms that simultaneously embody more than one identity without separating them from each other. The silhouettes no longer serve to relegate a body to a specific category, but to transform it into a public square where all lives can intersect. Tomohiro’s fashion becomes a tool through which a body condenses more than one gender, more than one age, more than one culture within itself. It is in this intuition, of great formal as well as speculative rigor, that the garment seemed to perfectly respond to the idea of Borderless.
ITS Artwork Award powered by Swatch Art Peace Hotel
€10,000 assigned by Swatch Art Peace Hotel, upon selection among the ITS Contest participants
Awarded ex aequo to Chelsea Jean Lamm, Germany & Ivan Delogu, Italy
Chelsea Jean Lamm
Chelsea’s artwork brings together elements of nature with the ambitious goal of creating a surrealist, mesmerizing, intriguing and imaginative landscape – in the shape of a human. What a passionate adventure, to deep dive into her visual environment trying to identify every item while being blown away by the whole – and what a thrilling surprise to discover the origin of it all, wonderfully executed in a gothic calligraphy, bringing us to another dimension yet. A perfect balance with powerful energy.
Ivan Delogu
We have been fascinated by Ivan’s ability to tell an emotional and deeply rooted story with intensity, passion and relevance to the present. His love for heritage and artisanship as well as his personal relationship with the environment he represents with his work are inspiring, contemporary and powerfully pure. In the artwork realized, he merges the hard, material, historic side of the tools with the soft, equally handmade, lighter side of crocheted wool: a duality that speaks highly of local culture.
ITS Special Mention powered by
Vogue Eyewear part of EssilorLuxottica
€5,000 awarded by Vogue Eyewear part of EssilorLuxottica to the most deserving project, upon selection among ITS Contest participants
Awarded to Xiaoyue Liu, China
We chose Xiaoyue for her innovative and creative approach to a specific need, which she translated into a project emphasizing the role of eyewear as a design element. The self-expression-centered approach aligns with the tone of voice of Vogue Eyewear, highlighting the role of glasses as a tool for personal expression, allowing everyone to tell their own story.
ITS Sportswear Award powered by Lotto Sport
€3,000, €2,000 and €1,000 awarded by Lotto Sport to three winners challenged with a sneakers project
Awarded to
- Clementine Baldo, France €3,000
- Tomohiro Shibuki, Japan €2,000
- Edward Mendoza, British €1,000
Clementine Baldo has skillfully translated the project “I’d Rather be a Monster than a Woman” into footwear without losing the strength of its social message and the aesthetic impact of the original collection. Respect for our brand’s values merges with the designer’s stylistic exploration and her ability to deconstruct and reconstruct one of our models, providing new functional uses for the various elements that make up the upper. In this project, Clementine channels all her creativity and technical expertise into sustainability, breathing new life into reclaimed materials or existing parts of the upper.
ITS Challenge The Status Quo Award powered by WRAD
Visits to some of the world’s most innovative companies, guided by CEO and WRAD co-founder Matteo Ward.
Awarded to Tomohiro Shibuki, Japan
Tomohiro brought a fresh sense of aesthetic and purpose through his artworks to the technique of repurposing and upcycling. A vision that can help share new patterns and inform new ways of operating for a new generation of designers.
ITS Responsible Creativity Award powered by CNMI
€5,000 awarded by CNMI – Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and selected from all ITS Contest entries.
Awarded to Ivan Delogu, Italy
The strength and uniqueness that Ivan explores in the regeneration, cultural heritage, and responsibility through fashion are fundamental pillars. More than ever today, underlining craftmanship and heritage is a social responsibility. Ivan brings the culture of the past to the present and evolves it for the future.
ITS Footwear Award powered by Fondazione Ferragamo
€5,000 and a collaboration with one of the Ferragamo Creative Departments, awarded to one of the ITS Contest 2023 accessories entries
Awarded to Yuxi Sun, China
We chose Yuxi Sun for her ability to connect footwear not just with the wearer’s postural positions but also with their emotional states. Yuxi Sun’s footwear was entirely developed to be functional to motion and explores the anthropological aspect of the position itself. The designer also demonstrated a strong inclination for the aesthetic and imaginative aspect of footwear, considering it an artistic and creative object.
ITS Special Mention powered by
PITTI Immagine Tutoring & Consulting
A 6 month mentorship by the PITTI Immagine Tutoring & Consulting Direction
Awarded to Marcel Sommer, Germany
Drawing inspiration from the interplay of light and shadow, Marcel embarked on a transformative exploration, translating the essence of brutalism into a stunning array of garments that defy convention and redefine elegance.
ITS Special Mention powered by Fondazione Sozzani
The winner will be hosted at Fondazione Sozzani with a solo exhibition
Awarded to Wanqi Huang, China
The project was chosen for its very natural depiction of sexuality and femininity. The images reflect women’s bodies in an intimate way respecting their shapes and movements. This is a photographic narrative on a cultural perspective of body, sexuality, beauty, seen through the eyes of the Chinese people. Flipping through the pages of Wanqi Huang’s series one can connect with the feelings, desires, fears and loneliness of younger generations in China. By shooting nudes Wanqi is calling on her own society to face this topic, by showing them the beauty, the elegance, the fragility and the poetry of the female body.