The ITS Contest has announced the list of finalists for the 2023 edition, sixteen emerging fashion, accessories, and jewellery designers. An international panel of experts selected the most promising designers from the edition’s over 750 entries from 65 countries. Among the judges, Canadian curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot, celebrity stylist Tom Eerebout and Sara Sozzani Maino, Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani.

“We are at a generational shift of imagery, of reference points. A new generation of designers is taking hold, and young talents are realising this, charting different trajectories,” explained Barbara Franchin, president of Fondazione Its, the contest that for over twenty years, ITS Contest has acted as a seismographer, capturing and interpreting the creative waves and new directions of talent from all latitudes. “Right now fashion is experiencing a moment of great confusion and readjustment, with an ongoing redefinition of the role of the creative director. Who is the designer of the future? Either way, she or he steps out of the creative process, now taking a back seat to economic factors,” she added.

The sixteen finalists include Delogu, Chelsea Jean Lamm, and Marcel Sommer from Germany, Ivan Delogu from Italy, Clementine Baldo, Shanon Poupard, and Lilian Navarro from France, Daniel Bosco from Canada, Ju Bao and Kexuan Liu from China, Mert Serbest from Turkey, Momoka Sato and Tomohiro Shibuki from Japan, Silvia Acien Parrilla from Spain, Eun Ji Oh from Belgium, Tal Maslavi from Israel and finally Richard Farbey from the UK.

“The quality of the projects is always above average, with so much creativity and freedom of expression,” says Sara Sozzani Maino, Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani. “This year was incredible, a mix of grounding and escapism. The future starts here,” added Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution and author.

The process is rigorous, as noted by Thierry-Maxime Loriot, renowned curator, writer, and internationally acclaimed creative director, at his first jury experience as a judge. “It is very important that the students know that their work has been seen and selected with care by fashion industry professionals. It is important to support and give a platform to the new generation!”.

All the Its Contest 2023 finalists will receive the new Its Residency Award, which includes the opportunity to be hosted in Trieste and collaborate on a collective project held at Its Arcademy - Museum of Art in Fashion, the first museum of contemporary fashion in Italy, which houses more than 15,000 projects collect- ed over the past 20 years of ITS Contest. The museum will also dedicate an exhibition to the projects from this edition. A unique opportunity for exchange and growth, in a new format designed to provide an extraordinary experience shared with other talents from around the world and leading mentors.

Furthermore, all the finalists will compete for a series of financial prizes and opportunities designed to support their professional growth. These prizes will be awarded during the final event scheduled for March 22, 2024. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to attend the opening of the forthcoming exhibition to be held at ITS Arcademy - Museum of Art in Fashion, curated by Olivier Saillard and Emanuele Coccia.

Award Ceremony - Its Contest 2023
March 22, 2024

The finalists of Its Contest 2023. Courtesy image