Emerging designers shine at IED Barcelona’s Fashioners of the World 2025

IED Barcelona recently held its 21st annual Fashioners of the World show last month at the Palau Reial de Pedralbes, showcasing the final collections of its graduating fashion design students. This year's event was the largest in the school's history, featuring 25 collections from both Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and BA (Hons) in Fashion Design programs. The collections highlighted themes of sustainability, technical and conceptual experimentation, and material innovation. An international jury evaluated the works and presented five major awards, recognizing the high quality and diverse approaches.

The Franca Sozzani Award for Best Fashion Collection was awarded to Laia Ripoll for “YHÖ,” a womenswear collection exploring emotional healing through rigid and delicate fabrics, safety pins, and a palette of blacks, greys, and metallics. The collection was praised for its creativity and artisanal use of metal, and a selected look will be presented at Pitti Fragranze 2025, with MANE collaborating on a fragrance inspired by the collection. Anna Guitart received the Isabel Coixet Award for Best Fashion Film for “Morriña,” a genderless autumn/winter collection inspired by family memories, incorporating embroidery, lace, and mother-of-pearl buttons. The film is available on IED Barcelona’s YouTube channel.

The Manuel Outumuro Award for Best Photo Shoot was shared by Àlex Broto for “L’anatomia d’un refugi,” a menswear collection with voluminous silhouettes and sportswear references, and Laura Beltrán for “Anem al poble,” a fall/winter menswear collection blending tailoring and deconstruction. Both were commended for their visual and narrative clarity. Julia R. Heine won the Jordi Labanda Award for Best Fashion Illustration for “Lunch at the tennis court,” a work inspired by 1950s women that combines vintage sportswear and tailored structures with embroidery and ribbon techniques.

Special mentions were given to Amir M. Kantalari for “This must be the place,” a genderless collection on digital-era Iran made from surplus fabrics and waterless digital printing, and Àlex Broto for his collection “L’anatomia d’un refugi.” The IEDxCommons Impact Award went to Martina Mayol for “Auster,” a design created from 100 percent organic, regenerative cotton without chemical dyes, emphasizing sustainability, local identity, and timeless aesthetics. The jury praised Mayol’s adherence to eco-design principles like monomateriality, durability, and recyclability.