IFM stages Bachelor of Arts show on Seine quay

One of Europe’s leading fashion colleges, IFM held its Bachelor of Arts show on Tuesday along a quay on the Seine and it was the best-staged group show that the college has ever presented.

All told, 30 young designers from 11 nationalities each presented six looks, all of them preceded by a youth bearing their position in the show on a black T-shirt in a show staged at Le Docks, the main campus of the Institut Français de la Mode or IFM.

The display got off to an excellent start thanks to Tidjane Tall of France, who showed puckered fantasies and an excellently cut cocoon dress, which, like the title of her collection “Resonance,” resonated visually. While Zelig Davoult’s punchy graphics and bold shapes showed plenty of talent.

Full marks for a fertile imagination to America’s Ahimsa Arce and a major shout-out to Yelyzaveta Dimitriieva of Ukraine. Her collection, named “Eastern Promises,” played on her native culture but with unexpected twists to underline that this is a young designer with huge promise.

Honorable mentions to image-makers Lili Zavatta of France, especially her sensational final frock coat; Chloé Laplante for her belief in fantasy fashion; and to Lucien Caillou Branchelot and Amandine Leost for their understanding of volume.

Last but not least, let’s give it up big to Zilan Ma of China for her technical wizardry and defiant imagination. Ma is definitely a name to watch — and to hire.

Two final mentions to Gonzalo Garcia Marian of Spain for his willful detritus chic and to Franco-American Clémentine Smith for a great final sextet and easily the chicest clothes in her class. We expect to hear more about this young hopeful.

Full marks as well to the excellent soundtrack by Jen Cardini, a DJ clearly capable of creating music for a professional catwalk and to artistic direction by Thierry Rondenet and Hervé Yvrenogeau, who hung two-meter semi-transparent portraits along the dockside catwalk, softening the light and adding oomph.

Moreover, though most of the clothes were for women, this was not a bad way to begin the six-day Paris menswear season — a sunny moment of youthful promise on the Seine.