On the runway in Cannes, the best talents in fashion design

The long-running The Link talent-scouting contest, dedicated to young designers from Europe’s most prestigious schools, also enjoyed remarkable success. The 2025 edition set a new record with 128 projects from 37 countries, confirming the competition’s international scope and cultural significance.

From the start, The Link has championed freedom of expression and experimentation, encouraging emerging talents to reinvent the codes of beachwear, lingerie, and athleisure. Many past winners now work for world-renowned fashion houses or have launched their own labels.

“Almost all of this year’s projects,” reads the jury’s report, “convey a positive and vibrant message, driven by the desire to rewrite the language of fashion with new symbols – brighter, more inclusive, and optimistic.”

During the event, the nine finalists presented their collections in dedicated spaces and in a widely attended fashion show, made possible with the support of MarediModa and its exhibitors, who provided materials and technical assistance.

The Link 2025 Winners

BEACHWEAR
Mattia D’Aquila – Italy – Accademia PBS

UNDERWEAR
Reka Kinga Bartha – Hungary – University of Art and Design – Cluj Napoca

ATHLEISURE
Michele Zazzeroni – Italy – Next Fashion School by Carlo Secoli

MarediModa thus reaffirms itself as an unmissable event for the entire European textile supply chain — a meeting point between creativity, innovation, and industry. A true laboratory of ideas where the future of fashion is shaped with awareness and vision.

Enjoy THE LINK fashion contest catwalk: