Eyes Wide Open

The Next Gen Revolution at Fashion Graduate Italia 2024

This year, Fashion Graduate Italia doesn’t just return—it storms the stage. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, this event isn’t about fashion as you know it. It’s about disruption, raw expression, and the daring audacity to look the world dead in the eye and say: “This is what we see.” The theme, Eyes Wide Open, is a rallying cry, challenging these young creatives to see beyond themselves, beyond trends, and into the messy, beautiful layers of identity and society. We selected four designers for their ability to challenge conventions and create collections that invite us to see the world with renewed depth.

Held at Milan’s BASE from October 22 to 24, the event brought together Italy’s top fashion academies and institutes, crafting an immersive experience that was more than fabric, stitch, and silhouette. It was about creating a new lens for the world to look through—a way to see beyond our digital façades and curated lives, to connect with the authentic, the strange, and the unexpected. Here, fashion isn’t just wearable—it’s a movement.

Fashion Graduate Italia 2024 is more than a launchpad; it’s an interrogation into our global culture of hyper-individualism. With every garment, these designers are reclaiming a collective consciousness we’ve lost in our obsession with self. Each look demands that you ask, “What do you see?” and pushes you to confront the world beyond the screen. In a time when eyes are so often glued to mirrors and filtered lenses, Eyes Wide Open beckons us to see more, feel more, and ultimately, understand more.

Tomas Parodi – “SHO”

An unapologetic love letter to Argentina and to Parodi himself, “SHO” is an ode to rebellious beauty. He draws on gaucho culture, where every piece seems dipped in heritage, yet powered by a modern edge. Dominated by black, each garment radiates an aura of defiance. His headpieces? Face-covering statements that confront you with your own assumptions, masking identity to emphasize presence.

Angelo Francesco De Simone – “Indomabile”

De Simone pays tribute to the untamed spirit of his muse with “Indomabile.” Here, fashion meets circus theatrics—a world where every performer is a spectacle and the lines between performer and observer blur. With explosive volumes and shapes that defy conformity, De Simone’s pieces make you feel part of something otherworldly, daring you to look beyond the garment and into the performance.

Quirino Amato – “BODACIOUS”

Innocent, defiant, or something unapologetically in between, Amato’s “BODACIOUS” toys with the gaze itself. His silhouettes speak of duality, challenging us to decide who gets to define a woman’s role. This collection whispers, “Look closer,” daring the viewer to find their own answer in a world conditioned to make snap judgments.

Dilara Ovet – “Untitled Tribute to Atatürk”

A powerful salute to Turkish history and the strength of its women, Dilara Ovet’s work is the embodiment of resilience. Each piece is a nod to Atatürk’s revolutionary spirit, echoing the warrior ethos of Turkey’s past. It’s not just a collection; it’s armor, fierce and unbreakable, channeling the strength of women who refuse to be silenced.

In 2024, empathy is the real luxury, and these young designers are placing it at the heart of their craft. Each stitch, each silhouette is a counter-narrative to today’s self-centered digital culture. Fashion Graduate Italia is telling us, maybe it’s time we turn our gaze outwards—embracing, questioning, and confronting the world around us. Because when we see each other—really see each other—we begin to understand that true identity is not something we wear; it’s something we experience together.
Fashion Graduate Italia 2024 isn’t just a moment. It’s an invitation to wake up, to look past the endless scroll, and open our eyes to something extraordinary.

Eyes Wide Open / Fashion Graduate Italia 2024

Credits:

Event: Fashion Graduate Italia / @fashiongraduateitalia
Words and photos: Elena Murratzu / @elena.murratzu
Editor: Anca Macavei / @ancamacavei

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