IFM MA 2025: Designing for the past, present and future

As is often the case in times of social and political turmoil, students’ collections fell into the camps of realism or escapism. Some creations, like Steven Chevallier’s vibrant knits (incorporating logos and campaign elements of queer activist movements) or Ricard Baldomá’s sartorial caricatures of Thatcher and Trump (the former in a prim jacquard, the latter in a hunched suit), loudly challenged today’s political climate. Others challenged the fashion system, like Aurore Montagner’s collaged dresses, which were created in close collaboration with Les Belles Entravées, a collective of inmates from the women’s prison of Rennes.

Nostalgia was a common thread, too, as there seemed to be a collective longing for childlike innocence. With dusty blue jumpers and pink polos, Hawi Akrawi explored the topic of the mama’s boy. Emilia Seitz’s bubbly Barbour coat, folkloric dresses and Martín Lüttecke’s clashing tension-knit pieces (tightly cropped and twisted cardigans) symbolised the distortion and sweetness of childhood memories. Throughout the collections, these elements of symbolism and storytelling were combined with a strong focus on tradition-based craft and material innovation. Although IFM’s MA is a fairly new programme, the institution combines the traditional craft-focussed Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, founded in 1927, and the 1986, management-focused IFM. For its graduates, this means being two types of designer at once: one driven by artistry and a desire to create fashion for some meaningful change and one that understands fashion’s traditional system, its structures and rules. One has the potential to change the fashion system, the other to thrive in it. Now, the question is, which path will they take?

Darius Betschart

The models in Darius Betschart’s Bakken appear dressed for a fight. One model struts down the runway in a chain mail tank and army print overalls, tied loosely around the waist. There’s a voluminous, utilitarian pilot jacket with white stripes and characteristic orange lining, alongside hoodies and zip-ups. One look, featuring black satin boxing shorts, chain mail gloves and a dramatic cape, grabs the attention. But every look, no matter how masculine and utilitarian, seems to have something soft and vulnerable. There are details in baby pink, floral patches on sneakers and satin, creating a fragile quality. This feels important, especially in a time when role models of toxic masculinity gain ground – as does the idea that being a man equals being an aggressor.

Martín Lüttecke 

You can see a childlike innocence in the ruffles, bloomers and awkwardly cropped cardigans of Martín Lüttecke’s collection, That was then, this is now. Innocence is intentional, as Lüttecke explored “the tension between childhood innocence and its distorted perceptions.” It’s also deeply personal. “I started my research through the concept of memory loss caused by trauma,” Lüttecke says. In the beginning, it was more of a theoretical investigation. Later on, I came across a photo album from my childhood, and the contrast between my negative memories and the sweet, colourful photos was striking.” This contrast – the sweetness of childhood and the feeling that something is off – is reflected in the strange contrasts of the designs. Lüttecke clashed tension-knit pieces (such as tightly cropped and twisted cardigans) with flowy, ruffled bloomers. Childlike tones of red, mustard and blue create an awkward tension too. Equally symbolic, are the distorted prints seen on coats and dresses, for which Lüttecke “developed a technique that distorts fabric through darts, prints, and heat pressing.”

Viola Yuedi

Yuedi Viola Zhang’s collection features earthy tones, asymmetric cuts and rich textures of rough hardware paired with sheer textiles. Titled Nesting in the Chaos: Artificial & Emotional Intelligence, it ties together both the technological and instinctual, exploring what happens when “human emotional intelligence encounters artificial intelligence.” There’s richness in Zhang’s cuts and material choices. “Wool represents our organic human part, transparent yarns show the ethereal and futuristic aspect of the collection,” the designer explains. One showstopper is a white asymmetrical, feathered look. “White feathers represent pure freedom,” Zhang says. To the question of what’s next, Zhang laughs. “Independent designer brand… Or Burger King!”

Ricard Baldomá 

Looking closely, you can find the politicians and movements caricatured in Ricard Baldomá’s A Pastar Fang, like a jacquard skirt suit referencing Margaret Thatcher, or the hunched, suited shoulders of Donald Trump. Baldomá’s collection confronts “the complexity and hypocrisy of contemporary politics, through the uniforms of corrupt leaders and the iconography of a decaying establishment.” Toying with these symbols in a fashion context, required a wide range of material development. “Beads replicate the look of shredded posters, while sublimated and laser-cut metallic palettes recreate the original printed motif – all made possible with the support of Teintures de France,” Baldomá says. “A custom jacquard, developed with Alesilk, is inspired by an original textile worn by Margaret Thatcher, subverted with elements from Antoni Tàpies’ paintings.” Meanwhile, classic wool tailoring (sourced from deadstock materials) hints at the stereotypical politician’s wardrobe.

Michael Zhang

Michael Zhang’s collection  Dreams of the Pink Chamber feels regal, sensual and, as the title suggests, very pink. It’s also rich with symbolism.“This collection questions notions of authenticity and sexuality in “Chinese-ness” and diaspora,” Zhang explains. Upon first glance, silhouettes and details are taken both from traditional Chinese and Western garments. But there are plenty of hidden, personal details too. To toy with all of these elements, Zhang made offcuts of silk and jacquard from Chinese Opera companies in Beijing, “and created paper cuttings with my grandmother and artist Ding Shilun, amongst which my own sexual objects are cut and hidden, which are only revealed in movement.” Sexuality is mirrored in the cuts and “jacquard forms” of the garments. Some are donned by one single model, whereas other creations require a couple. The choice of colours is symbolic too. “Pink [is] historically only for concubines and prostitutes in Chinese culture, and is here used to challenge the rigidity of social and political adherence,” Zhang says. The designer is starting at Balenciaga, “and I would like to continue building community through my work.”

Xingyu Chen 

Structured outerwear and satin dresses glide down the runway of Xingyu Chen’s Non Finito, a collection “inspired by non finito sculpture, where unfinished forms highlight raw beauty,” Chen says. The collection explores the contrast between Eastern and Western ideals of femininity. Western fashion moved from corsets to natural curves, while in China, the shift was from concealment to self-expression. As such, the collection revolves around curves, selectively sculpting some through draped and tailored pieces, while letting other curves exist naturally in what Chen explains as “embracing imperfection and individuality.”

Hawi Akrawi

“Muttersöhnchen is used in German to pejoratively describe men as weak, too emotional, or overdependent… a mommy’s boy,” says designer Hawi Akrawi. “I’m reclaiming it and celebrating the deep, nurturing bond between mother and son. It is a homage to my mother, our relationship, and as a challenge to the stereotypes that prevent men from expressing affection, emotion, and vulnerability.” The collection features subtle, seemingly utilitarian garments with notable silhouettes or details, like a dusty blue knit with an oversized zipped collar or a light pink polo worn underneath a floral textured dress. To achieve these looks, Akrawi used textiles ranging from deadstock jersey to “the upcycled Kurdish dresses of my mother,” toying with embroidery, washing, shrinking and bonding techniques. Next up, Akrawi is seeking an internship and hopes to stay within the Parisian fashion world.

Aurore Montagner 

Where the industry gets increasingly individualistic and neoliberal, Aurore Montagner’s collection is one of collective choice. “Over several months, I led a series of on-site creative workshops with a group of inmates from the women’s prison of Rennes who call themselves Les Belles Entravées,” Montagner says. “Through collage, drawing, writing, and long conversations, we imagined together what this collection could be, shaping the wardrobe, colour palette, and motifs. What emerged from these exchanges is a reflection on freedom as both a physical space and an embodied sensation.” The designs themselves symbolise freedom on various levels. “Raw seams and visible stitching pay tribute to the imperfect beauty of handmade gestures shared in the workshops. The challenge was to respect and amplify the choices made collectively, while pushing them further through an aesthetic language shaped by the same spontaneous practices developed inside the prison.” The designer concludes: “This collection is a project I had dreamed of for a long time, one that was very difficult to make happen but profoundly rewarding on both a creative and human level. It’s sparked a desire to pursue more projects in collaboration with groups of people and communities.”

Sara Jamshidilarijani 

“Standing amidst the luminous, reflective forms in the Museum of Glassware in Tehran, I saw myself in them – not just as a reflection, but as a presence,” says Sara Jamshidilarijani. This moment sparked Jamshidilarijani’s collection, Reflection, which toys with the luminosity and reflective properties of glass (both physically and metaphorically) within the realm of fashion. Metaphorically silhouettes “embody the tension between exposure and concealment, capturing the paradox of self-expression – the desire to be seen while fearing judgment,” says Jamshidilarijani. Glass – shattered, blown, intact – is also reflected in garment finishing. “I achieved a balance by pressing laser-cut polypropylene sheets onto jersey fabric, creating a fusion between fusing and boning that allowed for flexible yet structured silhouettes.” Jamshidilarijani will start an internship soon. “Meanwhile, I’ll keep creating and exploring garments at my own pace.”

Rachel Luurssen

For a moment, the coquette bows, ribbons and florals of Rachel Luurssen’s collection, The Anarchy of the Coquette obscure the more serious topics. But quickly, you can see that proportions don’t quite add up, with silky garments being layered and gathered and rumpled in strange places. “My inspiration comes from the false image our mind creates of our bodies, an illusion that distorts reality,” Luurssen says. “I explored the disconnect between perception and the body’s true form, highlighting the tension and fragmentation that body dysmorphia brings.” To achieve this, the designer worked with 3D printing techniques on textiles, engraved denim and created plisse for textured, gathered voluminous looks. When asked what is next, Luurssen laughs, “I really need a spa day, and there is a lot of sleep to catch up on.”

Steven Chevallier

IFM’s show is off to a good start, as models strut down the makeshift runway in richly textured knitwear and sleek leather bunny ears. The looks – with their graffiti-like knits, vibrant colours and “funny” animal hats – seem playful at first. But the topic that Steven Chevallier addresses with this collection is quite serious. “It explores the persecution of the queer community by conservative movements, both historically and in the present. It focuses on pivotal moments such as the HIV crisis, the Stonewall riots, and the work of artists like Derek Jarman,” Chevallier says. “I want to honour and celebrate those who have fought and continue to fight for queer rights.” Chevallier’s collection mostly does so through knitwear, whose prints and designs pay homage “to queer activism through the logos and campaigns inspired by activist movements from the 80s, such as ACT UP and OutRage.” Neon slogans and logos are knitted, printed and tufted onto equally bright garments, such as coats and knits. Styling and accessories are symbolic, too, as illustrated by the animal ears. “They reference the Middle Ages, a time when so-called ‘crazy’ people would wear animal hats. For me, this represents how queer people are often labelled as ‘crazy’.” Starting an internship at Dior, Chevallier looks back fondly at IFM. “I had the chance to fully explore my creativity and to deliver an important political message. As designers, I believe we have a responsibility to engage with the harm that society can inflict, particularly on our rights as queer creatives. I hope to continue working in this direction, connecting creativity, craftsmanship, and activism.”

Andu Yeonju Jang 

Uniforms – especially school uniforms – always make a fascinating topic of collection exploration, thanks to their intricacy in tailoring and symbolism. “School uniforms symbolise the tension between individuality and regulation,” Andu Yeonju Jang says. The designer’s graduate collection, Ulzzang-Anti Uniform Club, draws from a South Korean schoolgirl style known as the Ulzzang Look. “Emerging around 2008, this aesthetic was a form of quiet resistance to strict dress codes, regulating the length of hair and skirts, and banning anything that didn’t conform,” Jang says. The collection weaves together sporty and girly elements (plush bag charms, star-shaped hair clips on a furry coat, tracksuits with striped sleeves), with the kind of sleek tailoring and crisp sharp collars you’d expect of a school uniform. After celebrating the show’s completion (aka “party very hard”), Jang will move on to an internship.

Paul Billot 

Tech bros seem to be top of mind. They even inspired Paul Billot’s collection, Arrival, which asks: “What if the tech industry would take over the fashion industry?” The collection’s muses are archetypal characters of Silicon Valley, “engineers, designers, CEOs, philosophers and young talents,” who strut down the runway in utilitarian (and appropriately nerdy) looks: windbreakers, multi-pocket beige chino pants, complete with USB sticks dangling from keychains and the lanyards you’d need to check in at Google’s offices. Billot used fans to inflate the windbreakers, which typify “uni merch, Stanford or Polytechnique.” Other techniques include a “holographic textile 3D printer to make prints. And I used Artificial Intelligence as an extension of my process.” After the show, Billot will set out on short trips and meetings with other designers. “They’re often inspiring conversations that can lead to different projects, sometimes unexpected.”

Jason Clark

Somewhat ominously titled Servant in Heaven, Ruler in Hell, Jason Clark’s collection features dramatic tailoring with an office siren wink. Many of the looks are hyper feminine: pencil skirt suits with a cinched waist, pussy bow blouses with exaggerated bows and a beige trench coat with a boned petticoat underneath. Clark toys with elements from garments that have historically restricted women, like the petticoat and corset. But in their office-appropriate context, they feel more like power dressing than anything restrictive. Dress for the job you want, right?

Wenji Wu 

Stepping into Wenji Wu’s collection, Night Terrors, feels a bit like stepping into a kaleidoscopic fever dream… but a fun one! For the collection, the designer toyed with psychedelic knits – jumpers and coats paired with equally colourful woven trousers – depicting a cast of magical monsters. One yellow turtleneck sports a blue dragon, while a green jumper is home to a multi-eyed monster. In addition to bright and colourful prints, Wu layered different knit textures, alongside accessories and belts – creating rich and contrasting looks

Sofia Castellon 

Sofia Castellon’s jubilant collection is rich in storytelling. “Inspired by my Mexican and American roots and the day I moved from Mexico to the US, my collection follows ‘Las Gulf GurlZ’, a fierce girl band touring Mexico and the United States in 2025,” Castellon says. The designer goes as far as to imagine a firework-rich music video, which is reflected in the looks. “A big part of the collection was giving each band member their personality through different knit techniques.” Looks are playful, nearly satirical, with skull prints, bright, flowy strings and vibrant knits. “My collection tells a story through textures and colours. Focusing on the idea of fireworks, I wanted to capture the feeling of shredded knits with explosive fringes and play with the idea of jacquard bleeding out like watercolour, as if the garments had been struck by sparks.” Castellon continues: “I’m excited to keep developing stories of unity and prosperity, especially in a time of such turbulence. For me, fashion is both an escape and a powerful reminder to dream.”

Yi Melody Ding 

The skirts and dresses floating down the runway, as part of Yi Melody Ding’s collection, are beautiful in their fragility. The collection is titled Faded Paper (Paper Cutting and the Patriarchy). Silhouettes are loose, colours are monochrome or earthy. But the real attention-grabbers are the cut-out techniques Ding used to create textiles and accessories. Some delicate shapes are still partially attached to the fabric, emphasised by a gradient print. In other cases, they are completely detached, hanging only by a string.

Kristy Jingyan Chen 

“My collection, A Code of Us, explores the concept of quiet resistance through symbolism inspired by cinema censorship,” Kristy Jingyan Chen says. “Rather than directly depicting restricted content like violence or eroticism, I translate these themes using layered constructions and metaphorical elements – like how filmmakers adapt to censorship.” The collection is loose and flowy, often with padded elements, like a statuesque red corset layered or a puffy striped coat. They reveal little of the body underneath (as you might expect of ‘uncensored’ depictions of eroticism) but rather tell their own story. Chen relied on flock velvet, “a material that enhances depth and contrast, mirroring the visual manipulations in censored films,” as well as layered textiles and covering techniques “akin to digital retouching in cinema, where certain elements are obscured or reimagined.”

Sojung Lee

There’s something cyclical about Sojung Lee’s collection. The garments – executed in soft, natural materials and earthy colours – are all circular in silhouette and print. There are polka dots, folded round sleeves and rounded textured skirts. Lee’s collection is titled Cycle of Life, inspired by “a deep fascination with transformation and regeneration.” Lee found a lot of inspiration in art, like Wooram Choi, Emma Kunz and the tradition of the mandala “a sacred symbol of cyclicality.” These inspirations found their way into the collection via sustainable and regenerated textiles and sculptural 3D knits, for which Lee developed a technique “called partial knitting,” which required constant manual alertness. “For example, my first look – the Spiral Dress – required over 20 hours of continuous knitting, truly representing a marathon effort in preparing this collection.”

Sarah Corcos

Textile development seems crucial in Sarah Corcos’ collection, “Honni soit qui mal y pense”. Textiles in natural colours feature intricate prints made of folded cut-outs, a bit like plisse but more complex. Some cut-outs are more ruffled, whereas others hug closer to the body. They’re nearly all draped and cut diagonally, ensuring the garments cascade loosely down the bodies of their wearers, in an aesthetic that feels breezy, natural and innovative.

Reece ZhouYi Liang 

Reece ZhouYi Liang’s collection is colourful, glitzy and plastic fantastic. “It’s about garments as performative tools in social activities and the societal objectification we created in fashion,” Liang says. The collection opens with a Barbie pink combo of sequins and velvet. Other looks include a puffy pale ballgown, a shirt with oversized sleeves and tinsel-like appliqué, a black suit with glittery accessories and a silhouette that’s blown out of proportion. Liang used mainly “mundane materials and fabrications from daily garments and mixed them with embroidery and screen printing techniques.” Moving into an internship next, Liang is curious to “dive deeper into the commercial aspect of fashion, how the industry runs collectively [including] production, marketing, management, and so on.”

Asa Briet

Ása Bríet Brattaberg’s collection features woollen skirt suits and jackets, with the militaristic silhouettes found in 30s and 40s European fashion, but with none of the rigidity. Yarn of thick Icelandic knits are delicate and loose and a coat frays at the seams. Brattaberg explains that the collection is inspired by the relationship between American soldiers and Icelandic women during World War II, relationships loaded with complexity. “At the heart of my collection is a love story between an Icelandic woman and a U.S. soldier. When he departs, all she has left of him is his jacket. As time passes and memories of their love start to fade, so does the jacket – gradually deteriorating, fraying, and falling apart. Yet, driven by her love for craft and preservation, she begins to mend it, piecing it back together stitch by stitch,” Brattaberg says.

Xingyi Jin

In a fashion system under scrutiny, young designers have roughly two choices. Focus on innovative techniques and next-gen materials to create more sustainable alternatives to the current options, or re-introduce traditional craftsmanship. Of course, it’s often a combination of the two. But Xingyi Jin’s collection seems a genuine tribute to traditional handcraft and natural materials. Most of the garments are crocheted or loosely knitted, in earthy colours and with a clear, folkloric aesthetic. They’re the kind of garments that re-connect the wearer to every step of its creation, from the earth or animals where materials came from and the human hands that worked on it – crochet, pleats, embroidery and all.

Clémentine Thévoux Chabuel

Many collections are rooted in the beauty of the natural world, referencing flowers, blossoms and grassy meadows. Clémentine Lagadec Thévoux Chabuel’s collection, instead, explores mushrooms and mould. “Why are we disgusted by mould and not by flowers?” the designer muses. “I mixed this natural, organic growing mushroomy universe with the rave universe, where hallucinogenics are highly used, to create a collection of trippy characters wearing mouldy garments on their way to a rave. On each piece, we can see the mould and mushrooms growing.” The collection features cheery kaleidoscopic colours and heavily textured knits from which mushrooms appear to grow. Thévoux Chabuel contrasted brushed mohair with cotton and wool. In addition to hand-knitting and crocheting, cable-knit techniques were important, “representing roots and mycelium, with mouldy mohair growing on top and tangling inside the cables.” Next, the young designer will start an internship at Givenchy, specialising in men’s knitwear. “I would like to develop my knowledge and be able to create and reinvent beautiful techniques in a fun way.”

Filip Bejek

The deconstructed luxury garments of Filip Bejek’s Anastasiia Kleptomanov – an inside-out leopard print coat, or a black evening gown with a distorted silhouette – mirror the complexity, chaos and tension of kleptomania. More specifically, they’re “a raw portrayal of my friend, navigating life through a perpetual act of theft – a performance of survival, thrill, and self-destruction,” Bejek says. The designs highlight the significance of seemingly small details, “the stretch of fabric as she rushes out of a store, the holes left by hastily cut security tags, the strange randomness of stolen objects dictating the palette.” Bejek further amplified the storytelling by using stolen and deadstock materials, “recontextualising objects that were taken and severed from their origins.” The collection “captures the rush of adrenaline, the fleeting nature of escape, and the slow suffocation of compulsion. It’s a testament to the power of fashion as a storytelling medium, where every stitch, tear, and silhouette becomes a chapter in an ongoing, unravelling narrative.”

Emilia Seitz 

Wistfulness prevails in Emilia Seitz’s collection, which was “inspired by the last summer of my childhood, spent on a farm, a time of innocence and nostalgia.” The longing for “the simple days” is reflected in the collection’s whimsical, bouncy shapes paired with a more laid-back, rural aesthetic (Barbour coats and folkloric dresses with bold silhouettes, loose trousers and shirts in natural colours). “In my design process, I wanted to blur the lines between reality and fantasy – just like childhood itself, where memories become distorted over time,” Seitz says. “For example, I chose to exaggerate the Barbour jacket, much like the folkloric costumes, to create something larger-than-life and dreamlike, much like how a child imagines the world.” To create a sense of haziness often accompanying childhood memories, Seitz worked with “fabrics and textures that mimic familiar archetypes but are actually something entirely different,” like the painted leather which created the Barbour coat’s texture.