MAD Brussels presents the future fashion and design creatives
12 promising fashion and design graduates to keep an eye on
A folding screen made of fake hair. An impressive ceramic fireplace. Or a marquee that seeks to connect cultures. Every year, MAD Brussels, the centre for fashion and design, awards prizes to promising design graduates within a creative field in Brussels. The fact that creative Brussels is doing well is shown by the selection of laureates who graduated last summer.
Who are the winners of the MAD Graduation Prize 2023?
Eunji Oh studied accessory design. Her graduation collection "Overweight" explores the relationship between body aesthetics and perfection. Inspired by her own life story and related critical experiences, she invites everyone to tell their own story. Interior designer Axelle Manguila Husikama's graduation project "Hairitage" celebrates the cultural heritage of African hairstyles by highlighting their beauty, complexity and deep meaning. Through sculptural hair creations inspired by ancestral and contemporary hairstyles, this project aims to reaffirm the importance of African hairstyles as artistic expression, symbol of identity and cultural pride.
With his graduation project "ICHOR", interior designer Donald Huycke wants to teach us to rediscover the true value of water. He designed a tower where the visitor can perceive water in different shapes. The visual language adapts to the amount of rain that falls. Kwalé E. Hakizimana graduated as a fashion designer. His graduation collection "Blend" is an encounter, a conversation, a dialogue between aesthetics, materials and traditions. Kwalé wants to highlight the traditional skills of Africa and its various cultures and unite them with the aesthetic codes of Western clothing. For instance, his handmade Bogolan from Mali consists of woollen fabrics and the majestic Mushanana from Rwanda fuses with a blazer.
During her studies in textile design, Maëva Blanchard asked herself the question "how to make a multifunctional material out of all kinds of leftovers?" As the raw material for her graduation project "ReTor", she chose clothing leftovers that were on their way to the shredding plant for incineration. She then designed her own tools to recycle fabrics using the twining technique. Thus, Maëva creates supple yet sturdy cords that contain a multitude of colour and texture nuances. Carla Herrig also graduated from a textile discipline. With her project "Flux", she challenges the usual making process of jumpers. "Flux" translates the process of 3D knitting, normally only used in industry, to household machines. This innovative technique allows complex and intricate designs to be created instantly on a knitting machine. This eliminates the need for a traditional pattern, reducing waste.
In addition, Noemi Orgaer, Marion Aeby, Antoine Moulinard, Cassandre Strugala, Leslie Nonvignon, Dylan Guillard and Malou Marsin were also among the winners.
About the MAD Graduation Prize
The prize helps creative graduates to launch, grow and publicise their fashion or design label, MAD supports the winners in elaborating their project with a view to its further development. This support can take different forms: the creation of a catalogue, a video or an installation, but also the improvement of a prototype or the creation of a digital identity. In addition, the graduation projects of the selected students will be highlighted during the MAD Graduation Show. This group exhibition thus not only highlights the numerous new talents, but also shows the wide range of courses available in Brussels.
The 13 winners of the MAD Graduation Prize 2023 and the participating institutes are:
- Noemi Orgaer - Design Industriel, La Cambre
- Marion Aeby - Design textile, La Cambre
- Antoine Moulinard - Céramique, La Cambre
- Axelle Manguila Husikama - Architecture d'intérieur, La Cambre
- Maëva Blanchard - Design textile, Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles
- Cassandre Strugala - Création d'Intérieurs, Ecole Supérieure des Arts Saint-Luc
- Donald Huycke - Interior design, LUCA School of Arts
- Leslie Nonvignon - Stylisme & modelisme, Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer
- Eunji Oh - Accessoires, La Cambre
- Kwalé E. Hakizimana - Stylisme, Ateliers Saint-Luc
- Dylan Guillard - Stylisme et création de mode, La Cambre
- Carla Herrig - Knitting Design, Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles
- Malou Marsin - Fashion & Textile Design, College of Art and Design Brussels
Practical information
14 September - 23 September: MAD Graduation Show
The award ceremony of the MAD Graduation Prize will take place on Thursday evening, 14 September. The showcase of the 13 laureates will run at MAD Brussels until 23 September, Nieuwe Graanmarkt 10, 1000 Brussels. It is open to the public free of charge from Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm.
Images can be downloaded immediately by clicking on the images in the press release. For more information or interview requests, please contact:
Alexandra Borgerhoff
Find out what else is on MAD Brussels' programme here:
