X Identity: the manifesto of the new generation of Romanian designers

Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week launches the second edition of NEXT GENERATION Fashion Talent Award, the program dedicated to young designers in their final years of study or graduates of fashion universities in Romania. This year’s edition opens a new framework for creative exploration, inviting participants to enter a free dialogue about identity, form and contemporary expression.

X Identity, the theme proposed for this edition, is about freedom. About the desire to experiment, to construct unexpected volumes, to simplify the silhouette and to introduce new methodological perspectives. X Identity views identity as an open space where plurality and transformation are natural processes of creation.

Inspired by the way Constantin Brâncuși reduced form to its essence at the beginning of the twentieth century, the theme invites young designers to free the line from decorative excess and to explore volume as a form of expression. Participants are invited to enter the competition with three outfits developed around the X Identity theme by May 10, proposing a personal interpretation of identity as an independent visual language adapted to a constantly evolving contemporary context.

The partnership with Polimoda, one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world, continues in this edition, strengthening the international dimension of the program. Italian creative director Massimiliano Giornetti, Director of Polimoda, returns as mentor and will coordinate the creative development of the ten selected designers.

“At Polimoda we believe that identifying, supporting and shaping the next generation of fashion talent is not only our mission but also our contribution to the future of the industry. We are convinced that tomorrow’s fashion will be defined by those who succeed in combining visionary thinking with a strong foundation in craftsmanship, heritage and global awareness. The emerging community of designers in Romania has demonstrated remarkable creative energy and the Next Generation program gives us the opportunity to accompany talented young people at a defining moment in their journey, helping them develop a strong creative identity and the tools necessary to express their own visual language.

We are grateful to Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week for this renewed collaboration and for sharing our commitment to building a more responsible and culturally rich industry.”
Massimiliano Giornetti, Director Polimoda

March 6, 2026, Bucharest

At the same time, Next Generation reaffirms its connection with the local academic environment, continuing its collaboration with профиль universities such as the National University of Arts Bucharest, the University of Art and Design in Cluj Napoca (UAD) and the West University of Timișoara, strengthening the dialogue between university education and the fashion industry.

A key moment of the edition will be March 24, the first day of Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week, entirely dedicated to Next Generation. The day begins with the Next Generation Conference hosted by the Academy of Economic Studies through Bucharest Business School (BBS), a space for dialogue between young creatives and industry professionals about the journey of a designer in the current context. The conference organized with the support of the Creative MBA team at BBS addresses both the creative dimension and the professional reality of fashion, from building an identity and a brand to the challenges related to business, retail and the operational framework of the industry. Perspectives are shaped through contributions from representatives of Banca Transilvania and Fashion Days, partners of the project.

After the conference the day continues at Promenada Mall Bucharest with the program Creative Lab Sessions, an applied format designed as a learning by doing experience. The retail space becomes for one afternoon a creative campus for students where participants work directly in real contexts alongside industry professionals. The workshop coordinated by Polimoda professors is developed in collaboration with the brand Dualitae and explores the processes of building a retail concept, visual storytelling and translating a creative idea into a coherent setup. Sessions held by MAC Cosmetics and Musette complete the experience, offering applied perspectives on beauty as a narrative instrument and on the process of developing a product from concept to brand identity. The entire Creative Lab Sessions experience is supported by NEPI Rockcastle and Promenada Mall.

The day ends with a party powered by IQOS, a celebration dedicated to the Next Generation community, emerging designers, students, content creators, visual artists and professionals at the beginning of their careers alongside mentors and representatives of the industry. Participants are encouraged to wear their own creations or pieces created within the community as a symbolic gesture of support and visibility for the new generation. The evening will include projections of graduation collections and becomes an informal meeting space between education, industry and the public, strengthening the dialogue between creativity and the real professional context.

The final of the competition will take place in October when the ten selected designers will present their collections on the main stage during Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week in front of an international jury composed of representatives of the industry and specialized academic environment. The winner of the Next Generation Fashion Talent Award will receive a nine month master program at Polimoda complemented by an internship at an international brand, while the entire program reaffirms its mission to create real bridges between education, industry and the global fashion scene.

The winner of the previous edition, Mara Popa, is currently continuing her academic journey at Polimoda where she has begun the master program in Collection Design. The experience marks an important stage in her professional development, giving her direct access to an international educational context and to an intensive work rhythm focused on research, construction and the definition of a personal creative language.

Next Generation therefore remains more than a competition, a training platform, a space for dialogue and a manifesto for a generation that defines its identity through freedom, courage and experimentation.

The complete competition rules and the application form are available online on the official Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week website
https://mbbfw.ro/fashion-talent-award-2026