DATE: 24th October 2024. PLACE: BASE. TIME: 12.30 pm

The Domus Academy 2024 graduate show, "Woven Identities," was a masterclass in how personal heritage can be distilled into avant-garde fashion. Set against the industrial backdrop of BASE Milano, the runway functioned as a cross-cultural dialogue, featuring designers like Paloma Martínez Balbuena and Yohta Naruse who translated intimate memories into structural art. The collection successfully balanced high-concept "soft sculptures"—notably those by Hale Yılmaz Gözene—with a raw, emotional vulnerability. Rather than chasing fleeting commercial trends, the graduates leaned into the "Eyes Wide Open" theme of Fashion Graduate Italia, prioritizing artisanal craftsmanship and storytelling that felt both deeply rooted in the past and hyper-aware of a technological future.

Technically, the showcase stood out for its seamless integration of sustainability and multidisciplinary design. The use of plant-based dyes, upcycled textiles, and digital-physical hybrids reflected the academy’s shift toward a more conscious, "slow fashion" philosophy. Standout pieces utilized experimental knitwear and distorted silhouettes to explore themes of memory and protection, effectively treating the human body as a canvas for social and architectural commentary. By the final walk, it was clear that the 2024 cohort had moved beyond mere garment construction, presenting a cohesive vision of fashion as a resilient, evolving medium for global identity.