Two emerging designers will soon be studying at Polimoda, after winning scholarships during the school’s October visits to fashion weeks in Yerevan, and then Bucharest.
Hasmik Hayrapetyan wins a short course scholarship, and Diana Grigorescu a master’s scholarship, opening the doors of Polimoda to two new and exciting talents.
YEREVAN: HASMIK HAYRAPETYAN WINS A SHORT COURSE SCHOLARSHIP
At Yerevan Fashion Week, Polimoda took part in the Fashion Scout competition for emerging designers. On 8 October, Massimiliano Giornetti, Polimoda’s Academic Director, reviewed the portfolios of the shortlisted finalists. On 9 October, the Polimoda Special Award went to Hasmik Hayrapetyan for the best collection. The prize is a place on the school’s Summer Course in Fashion Brand Management.
Polimoda also contributed to the Fashion Week programme with the open talk The Language of Individuality: How Emerging Designers Can Find Their Unique Creative Voice, which explored how young designers can develop a distinctive creative identity.
BUCHAREST: DIANA GRIGORESCU WINS A MASTER'S SCHOLARSHIP
The Bucharest programme opened on 13 October with Design in Dialogue at Promenada Mall, featuring a talk by last year’s scholarship winner Mara Popa, followed by Fashion Talks at the Corinthia Hotel, where Giornetti spoke. On 14 October, after a runway show of collections from selected students from Romanian art and design universities, the Next Generation – Fashion Talent Award named Diana Grigorescu its winner, earning her a place on a master’s programme next year.
Her collection, I’ll Be Your Mirror, takes its title from the song by The Velvet Underground and treats identity as a negotiation of style, taste and roles rather than a fixed state. Gender-free garments balance workwear with formalwear, and contrasting materials, such as satin beside military-surplus suiting, bring together different textile histories. The collection also draws on art, interior design and architecture, with upholstery techniques and curtains reappearing as motifs.
Both awards reflect Polimoda’s commitment to discovering and supporting new talent internationally, and to giving emerging designers a direct route into its classrooms in Florence.
Cover image Next Generation – Fashion Talent Award Bucharest winner Diana Grigorescu. Photo courtesy of Mercedes Benz Bucharest Fashion Week.
