The designers of the future are here – If you need a “push” to find reasons to apply, you’re welcome

“How to” – perhaps one of the most (if not THE most) asked question on the internet. How to do this, how to do that, how to build, how to make, how to impress, how to introduce, how to cook… There’s a “how to” for everything apparently in the wonderland of online tutorials, and there’s one question that all young fashion designers would love the answer to: “how to show my work to the industry and build connections for my future?”. 

In its over 20 years’ history, ITS Contest has proved time and again to be the place where a young designer will find the answer. Visionary creatives of today like Demna, Matthieu Blazy and Nicolas di Felice took their first steps on the ITS Contest platform, meeting with the people that shaped their careers (famous is the meeting between Blazy and Raf Simons here), or finding a family kind of network that has supported them throughout the way. The achievements of past finalists speak for themselves.

With some of the most important professionals from the industry joining the Jury (check the 2024 edition Jury for example) and a surprising list of international press covering the event, no wonder this is THE launchpad every young designer should aspire to. Applying is just a click away: the process is entirely digital, completely free and in addition to the opportunity of being selected, young talents’ creativity becomes part of a permament archive for future generations, open to the possibility of being showcased in ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion, the only international museum entirely dedicated to the first works of emerging designers. 

Still not convinced? Let’s talk residency. Last March saw the launch of a new format for the selected candidates, with a program covering accessory design, blending traditional techniques with modern concepts, and features workshops with artisans, including a session with Balenciaga’s creative director Demna. Finalists also engaged in sustainable design workshops led by Fashion Revolution cofounder Orsola de Castro. CEO and co-founder of WRÅD Matteo Ward and talent scout Sara Sozzani Maino, exchanged opinions on one-to-one interviews with Lady Gaga’s stylist Tom Eeerebout and talked job interviews with Floriane de St Pierre headhunter Valentina Maggi.

The selected candidates for March 2025 will see a bigger, better version of an experience that was already life changing in itself (and you can check it out yourself)

Past finalists have leveraged their ITS Contest experience to progress their careers considerably thanks to the visibility and press coverage. Looking at recent past editions, 2024 digital fashion winners Fanrui Sun and Cheng Yu have been invited to Berlin Fashion Week and to the Vogue China Digital Fashion Fund, while sustainable designer Silvia Acien Parrilla, another 2024 alumnus, secured a studio space in London and was selected to represent UK at the Circular Design Challenge. Japanese designer Momoka Sato is presenting her own brand Euchronia, branching out from her winning collection at ITS Contest, in New York and Paris this September. 2022 finalist Lili Schreiber is now a designer at Maison Lemaire, while Rafaela Pestritu has established her eponymous brand dressing musicians of the like of Charli XCX, Tyla and Luisa Sonza. 2022 winner Charlie Constantinou went on to collaborate with iconic outdoor brand Nort °66 developing two capsule collections, and his own third seasons is now available at Dover Street Market. Victor Salinier, spotted by the Balenciaga team at ITS Contest, is now a junior jewellery and eyewear designer for the brand, while Marco Anzil, footwear finalist that caught the eye of Bjork, among others, is a leather goods designer for JW Anderson’s LOEWE, a brand finalist. 

Zongbo Jian also collaborates with, developing digital fashion projects.

ITS Contest is unlike anything else out there. It represents the potential for a transformative experience that will shape your network, inspire you to make a purposeful mark in the industry and in addition to that even (and most importantly) build friendships for a lifetime. You might even fall in love (not joking, we have evidence of past romance too).  

So what are you waiting for? Go to the entry form page and start your application.