Last week I was in Genève for atteding the annual Graduation Show at HEAD and it was…. a breath of fresh air.
Regularly ranked among the top art and design schools in Europe, HEAD-Genève is housed in a historic campus of four listed, 20th century architectural heritage buildings.
Welcoming close to 800 students of 40 different nationalities, HEAD offers professional courses (BA and MA degrees) in interior archi-tecture, space design, fashion, jewellery & accessories design, including a chair in watch-making, visual arts, illustration, graphic novels, film studies, visual communication, and media design. It also develops innovative projects within its Art and Design Research Institute.
An emblematic event at HEAD-Genève, the annual fashion show transcends the simple presentation of collections to become a genuine showcase for up-and-coming talent in the Fashion, Jewellery & Accessories Design programme. It celebrates the work and creativity of BA and MA students, while embodying HEAD’s mission to promote excellence and boldness in contemporary design.
The HEAD FASHION SHOW is also a major social and cultural event for Geneva, attracting a diverse and influential audience. Every year, it sells out and attracts over 2,000 people, including fashion industry personalities, journal-ists, influencers, and bloggers looking for new talent. The ever-growing success of the event, enhanced by high-profile media coverage, has strengthened HEAD’s reputation on the international scene.
This major event brings together industry pro-fessionals, the international press, and pres-tigious partners, offering young graduates an exclusive platform to make their mark on the international scene. Through this unique show-case, HEAD propels its designers to the high-est standards of fashion, increasing their visi-bility among influential industry players.
The FASHION SHOW is also on the internet, al-lowing those who were not able to get tickets to stream the event live. The impact is consid-erable on social media, with a great response from our partners, brands, influencers, and the media. Around 60 media representatives are accredited each year, raising the profile of the event with blogs, newspaper websites, and local and international television channels.
A press trip is organised every year for representatives of the international press, attracting influential journalists from different publications, as well as international bloggers.
It is a rare opportunity for creators, designers, partners, and the general public to come together in a creative, cutting-edge atmosphere.
Sixteen students presented their bachelor collections:
- Anastasiia Naumenko — Dear doubles!
- Solal Altherr — Et moi, je ressemblerais à quoi quand je serais grand?
- Baptiste Blanchard — Hatching stories
- Malik Diarra — Doutes et Certitudes
- Miya Isimbi Mbarushimana — 1 drink a lot of coffee, so l can dream faster
- Ilona Roux — The Merrows
- Capucine Millot — Les nénuphars froissés soupirent autour d’elle v.13
- Mathilde Paget — The Long Walk
- Julien Chardon et Rose Egidi — Palimpsest
- Antoine L’hostis — There are no happy endings because nothing ends
- Alexis Chaillat — Agony and XXXstasy
- Juliette Maugain — «Naturally too much!» Seamless Couture for bold
Feminity
- Jules Marot — Aux creatures
- Lucie Spycher — Journal Extime
- Hippolyte Laporte — Behind the curtain
Eleven were those who presented their Master collections:
- Lucie Lascaux et Simon Valabrègue — Ah!
- Léanne Claude — Weaving Connections
- Alaa Durand — Further deeper softer closer
- Saeyeon Ahn — My Youthful Spirit Whispers… and Shouts!
- Alan Clerc — [InProcess]
- Yabin Chen — A Bride’s Rebirth
- Oriana Tundo — HOt LovE
- Loris Narduzzi — Andiamo a funghi
- Marie Boutin — SUPERLIKE
- Xavier Weber — Wercors
At the end of the show, an international jury (under the watchful eye of Lutz Huelle, fashion designer and Head of the Fashion & Accessories Design Department) made up of fashion industry experts awarded five of the students with five different dedicated prizes:
Collection’s Image/Artistic Direction Prize: Hippolyte Laporte – Collection Bachelor: Behind the curtain
Bachelor Bongénie Prize: Thibaut Barraud – Collection Bachelor: Vivre avec…
La Redoute x HEAD 2024 Prize: Alan Clerc – Collection Master: [InProcess]
Master ASWE Prize: Marie Boutin – Collection Master: Superlike
Vahabzadeh Foundation Prize: Loris Narduzzi – Collection Master: Andiamo a funghi
Special Mention – Exclusive Pop-up Store at Le Bal des Créateurs with Personalized Support (Sterling International): Xavier Weber – Collection Master: Wercors
