A tribute to design, creativity and emerging talent. That is exactly what was celebrated this week at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao with the 25th anniversary of IED (Higher School of Design) in Spain. Among other activities the renowned fashion and design school wanted to record the event with an impressive fashion show in which national and international designers who have trained in the classrooms of IED Madrid and IED Barcelona participated, since the institution was founded in Madrid in 1994. Gratacós also participated in this exhibition of young designers collaborating through fabrics that took the form of lush garments on the catwalk. It is indeed part of our commitment as a company to support schools that help instruct future designers.
A parade of promising young designers of Spanish fashion
Under the name “25 designing the future”, the IED school grouped in the same parade 25 different collections signed by ex-alumni of IED Madrid and IED Barcelona who were responsible for capturing the past, present and future of the school. This event was part of the TopArte programme of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, on the occasion of the celebration of Bilbao Bizkaia Design Week. Recognized names that regularly participate on the main Spanish cat-walks such as Moisés Nieto, Carlota Barrera or Cristina Tamborero paraded together with other emerging brands in an eclectic exhibition of garments and visions that highlight the individuality of designers from different parts of Spain and also from countries such as Italy, Brazil, Romania, Israel, Mexico or the United Kingdom, among others. “Fashion is the most powerful means of expressing the identity of human beings. It is the connector and collector of dreams, urges, worries and personal inspirations …, therefore, we want to show a mosaic representative of IED talent of the last 25 years” declared Alessandro Manetti, CEO of the IED in Spain in justification of this powerful parade.
“The IED has left as inheritance an important generation of designers that promote the culture
and sensitivity of design worldwide” – Alessandro Manetti
The chosen looks of each participating designer were intended to define the future of fashion and reflect the challenges that the sector currently presents with creations designed for a sustainable look, conceptual and avant-garde designs, delicate handmade items produced locally or party dresses for large celebrations which follow haute couture techniques. “The IED has left as inheritance an important generation of designers that promote the culture and the sensitivity of the design worldwide”, added Manetti. In addition, for the occasion a former student of IED Madrid, one from IED Barcelona and another from IED Milan each created two looks for the event in honour of the 60th anniversary of the construction of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright . The curved spiral shapes, the delicacy of the pieces of art exhibited in it and the opulence of the building’s architecture have inspired the designs, some of which have been manufactured with our fabrics that we offered for this celebratory event.
An event full of familiar faces
This parade commemorating the 25 years of IED also counted on the support and assistance of important celebrities linked to the fashion world such as actress Rosy de Palma, the American international critic Diane Pernet, the Belgian fashion expert Francine Pairon or the designer Custo Dalmau, who accompanied Pilar Pasamontes, IED scientific director of Fashion and Julia Weems and Mosiés Nieto, directors of the fashion area of IED Barcelona and Madrid respectively. Among the casting of models was Palito Dominguín, sister of Bimba Bosé and daughter of Lucía Dominguín, and the model Bet Callieri, all of whom participated in the closing parade.
It was a pleasure to collaborate in this unique event of celebration of the IED and at Gratacós we are eager to see everything planned for the future. Here’s to 25 more years!
