Legendary Florence-based fashion school Polimoda rang in the summertime on June 15^th with their annual graduation show. The 2023 show, entitled Anthos and showcased at trade show Pitti Uomo, consists of 25 collections and over 100 fresh looks created by students from the undergraduate Fashion Design course and the Master’s in Collection Design and Creative Direction who are making their debut in the fashion world.

The student designers featured in the Anthos show were carefully chosen for their singular creativity and talent by Director Massimiliano Giornetti, and CEO and Fashion Director of TANK magazine and student mentor Caroline Issa, as well as other members of Polimoda’s faculty.

Giornetti describes the ethos of the show as follows: “This is the real luxury in fashion today. Being able to wait for the results of precise and delicate work. To define the aesthetic of a brand that needs to be recognized even without the ostentation of a logo. To go back to a signature style like the great creators of the past, who were in no way tempted to recycle other people’s ideas.”

Polimoda’s core values of diversity and inclusivity are reflected in the outstanding group of designers showcased, who originate from 18 different countries across the globe. This year’s show features collections created by Rahel Ercolini (Ethiopia), Marija Yankovich (Serbia), Amina Vanneling (Sweden), Rachel Tay Za (Myanmar), Danielle Smith (South Africa), Abygail Nathale Smith (Jamaica), Filipe Daniel Silva Mota Cerejo (Portugal), Keziah Hyacinth Ottman (Ireland), Chia-Ying Lin (Taiwan), Alisa Kosiborod (Russia), Iman Zubair Fazal (USA), Fernanda Castro (Pero), Charles Cote, Olivia Doose and Haigann Fevier-President (Canada), Siying Chen, Xiaodan Liao and Mingze Sun (China), Carola Emma Gali (Italy – UK), Anna Casalini, Eleonora Federico, Giorgia Giannotta, Giulia Mauro, Giovanna Miali, and Gabriele Venturi (Italy).

The Anthos 2023 show was hosted at the brand new B4 wing of the urban regeneration project Manifattura Tabacchi, a repurposed tobacco factory designed by architect Pier Luigi Nervi, which serves as Polimoda’s workshop building. Beyond the support of Massimiliano Giornetti and Caroline Issa, the show was created in collaboration with Diego Dolcini who advised students on accessories and footwear, fashion stylist Serge Girardi, and composer Frédéric Sanchez who provided the show’s sound design.

“Every graduation show is a new emotion. Polimoda fashion show is a delicate rite of passage for our students. The runway debut of the best designers is the highest, most genuine expression of the creative flair shown by these young designers who have come to Florence from all over the world,” Giornetti continues, encapsulating the school’s mission to offer a space for emerging designers to create freely and usher in the next era of fashion.