Published
June 17, 2026
On the evening of June 15, the spotlight fell on the Polimoda Graduate Show 2026, which opened Florence Fashion Week in conjunction with the opening of Pitti Uomo 110. Under the stewardship of director Massimiliano Giornetti and newly appointed president Niccolò Ricci, the Tuscan institute marked its 40th anniversary, consolidating its role as a global hub for scouting high-potential talent for the fashion and luxury sectors.
The event, conceived as a genuine B2B platform for headhunters, creative directors and decision-makers in the fashion industry, began at sunset amid the evocative industrial backdrop of Manifattura Tabacchi, now a landmark for innovation and urban regeneration in Florence.
The fashion show featured the top talents from the final year of the fashion design programme, who presented 20 final collections—totalling 100 looks—to industry professionals. This achievement is the result of a product development process of the highest calibre, supported by an exceptional mentoring programme. This year, the students worked under the strategic guidance of Luke and Lucie Meier, the longtime creative directors of Jil Sander, who returned to the school where they trained and met twenty-five years ago to work alongside Giornetti, together with An Vandevorst and the faculty, to steer the development of the collections.
An international jury comprising top buyers, journalists and industry executives evaluated the commercial viability and aesthetic impact of the proposals, awarding the prestigious title of Best Collection 2026 and thereby signalling to companies the most promising emerging talents in which to invest for the future of the global market.
“We’ve been working with the recent graduates for about two or three days a month since February. At first they were a little lost, but they managed to regroup and present something really strong. Most of them handled it very well. We saw high-quality work on the catwalk; we think they’ve really honed their technical skills. Some were exceptionally talented in both execution and design,” Luke and Lucie Meier explained to FashionNetwork.com.
As for future projects, the creative duo aren’t giving much away.
“We’re working on some projects that are still top secret, including some related to architecture. We always want to create, always with the intention of moving people. We wanted to take a little time for ourselves; we’ve travelled a lot—we spent a few months in Japan, for example—but there will be news soon, so stay tuned!” they added.
“The school was founded 40 years ago on the intuition of a group of Florentine entrepreneurs, including Marquis Emilio Pucci, Wanda Ferragamo and Stefano Ricci. And Florence is the capital of craftsmanship and ‘Made in Italy’, of top-tier production, which has since expanded to Arezzo, Santa Croce, Empoli and Scandicci. The connection we have with the industry is a fundamental element of the school,” said Giornetti, director of Polimoda.
“I never tell our students what’s beautiful and what’s ugly, what I like and what I don’t. I have my own taste; they must have theirs. Everyone must have something to express with intensity and authenticity. You have to be your own leader, especially at a time when everyone is always chasing after something or someone—they’re followers of a trend or an influencer. To be free, you must have the ability to be consistent and true to your own thinking, authentically connected to your vision and unafraid of judgement,” explained Giornetti, who said he is always deeply moved to see years of study by so many young creatives take tangible shape.
The graduate show is, in fact, the culmination of four years of training: a journey in which students from all over the world have chosen Florence and Italy to develop their own creative language, drawing on their cultural roots and translating them into industry-ready collections. Fashion becomes a tool for expressing memories, identities and visions, marking the professional debut of a new generation of designers.
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