The graduating collections at the IFM BA Fashion Show 2026 delivered an exhilarating masterclass in contemporary design, fearlessly redefining the boundaries of structure, gender, and identity. With Celine’s Michael Rider serving as patron, 27 select graduates launched the Paris Menswear schedule with an explosion of unbridled creative energy.
Rather than abandoning classic tailoring, these emerging visionaries took traditional wardrobe codes and expertly subverted them. The runway was defined by exaggerated, monumental silhouettes, utilitarian workwear infused with pure fantasy, and an ingenious mixing of contrasting textures. Every collection managed to strike a perfect equilibrium between raw artistic freedom and impeccable technical execution, prioritizing authentic inclusion and zero compromise on craftsmanship.
Ultimately, this showcase was a powerful celebration of the human form and the changing role of clothing. It proved that the incoming generation of talent possesses both the radical imagination and the practical skill necessary to reshape the industry's future from the ground up.
Samuel Ferrand’s collection is an homage to the Dominican Republic, exploring how cultures transform over time. Rooted in everyday life, family, and celebration, the project examines what is inherited, imagined, and reinvented.
Inspired by the Caribbean’s ability to transform pain into rhythm, Ferrand layers colours and motifs, weaving his own materials to reconstruct paradise. The collection offers an intimate reading of a territory shaped by migration and diversity, where identities circulate without being fixed, and multiple stories coexist.
Hoang Le’s collection, SPACE MONKS, ASTEROIDS, blends the utilitarianism of space uniforms with the spiritual comfort of religious dress. Inspired by Buddhist monastic drapery, workwear, and astronaut gear, the garments evoke drifting asteroids carrying traces of labor and adaptation.
Oversized protective outerwear balances fluid draped forms, contrasting heritage materials like silk with neoprene. Merging historical symbolism with modern techniques, Le examines craftsmanship while remaining critical of the accelerating pace of production across contemporary fashion.
Yaouen Chausseblanche’s collection, Arouezioù, uses knitwear to explore Brittany's cultural richness beyond standard folklore. Drawing on traditional Breton costumes, headdresses, and local symbols, the project creates a contemporary, mystical wardrobe through organic, chaotic silhouettes.
Hand knitting, crochet, embroidery, and felting merge traditional motifs with complex knitted structures. Reinterpreting regional craftsmanship, Chausseblanche focuses on preserving heritage knowledge and utilizing overlooked local resources, while challenging narrow beauty standards and the limited visibility given to emerging designers.
Based on Andrée Putman and François Sagat, Arthur Vieillard’s collection explores our response to online imagery, oscillating between the desire for visibility and anonymity. Clothing becomes a mechanism to attract attention or disappear. Drawing on the nightlife that shaped both figures, the collection exudes nocturnal glamour and ambiguity. Bringing an architectural sensibility to his silhouettes, Vieillard champions physical diversity through street casting and looks forward to collaborative, curious industry partnerships as he leaves IFM.
Jean Oltra’s graduate collection, Boy at the Door, explores the collision between idealized American collegiate style and nighttime glamour. Inspired by Blue Velvet, it investigates innocence and voyeurism through reconstructed menswear archetypes. Using draped excess, leather, velvet, and sous-vide garment constructions, the silhouettes appear stretched and melting. Distressed surfaces, faded suburban neutrals, and bruised purples evoke a fragile glamour where façades fracture, reflecting the tension between control and desire.
