The first edition of the NEW festival exceeds all expectations
Three days of final projects, presentations, runway shows, and awards — the perfect send-off for our Fashion, Graphic, and Interior Design students.
A new generation of designers has arrived, and they're here to stay. From June 29 to July 1, our students from Fashion Design, Graphic Design, and Interior Design presented their final degree projects at the first edition of NEW'26 - The Festival of New Ideas.
Exhibition opening at the Parking Gallery
The basement level of our campus served as the setting for the graduating class of 2026's final project showcase. The exhibition opened on Monday in a ceremony hosted by our general director, Sílvia Viudas, during which the best projects in Graphic Design and Interior Design were awarded.
The professional Graphic Design jury, made up of Coko Gabriel (partner and creative director at Not Found), Clara Xarrié (founder and creative director of Clara Xarrié Studio), and Meritxell Casamira (founder and creative director of studio Casamira and board member of ADG-FAD), awarded the prize to the project Atlas de lo invisible by Jaume Álvarez.
The professional Interior Design jury, comprising Arantxa Bernadí (CEO of Bernadí), Marcel Benedito (journalist, media professional, and director of Distrito Oficina and Distrito Hotel magazines), and Agnès Blanch (co-founder of studio Vilablanch and vice president of ArquinFAD), awarded the prize to the project El Fermall by Natàlia Cabrillana.
Runway show at the campus plaza
That same evening, NEW'26 moved to the campus square, transformed into a spectacular runway where Bachelor's in Fashion Design students showcased a representative look from each of their final collections. Four awards were presented at the end of the show, alongside sector partners:
Best Fabric / Materials Collection, in partnership with Gratacós, presented by Aida Molano (sales specialist at Gratacós): Blooming Reverie by Laia Gámez.
Best Fashion Editorial, in partnership with VEIN Magazine, presented by Eduardo García Llamas (editorial director of VEIN Magazine and Fucking Young!): Después del silencio, mírame Mimi by Miriam Jiménez.
Best Emerging Talent, in partnership with Cruïlla x 080, presented by Marta Coca (director of 080 Barcelona Fashion): El museo de un hogar by Pilar Grant, 000000(*) by Hugo Fernández, and Guachisnai by Cheng Ai.
Best Collection, presented by stylist and content creator Carla Paucar: Guachisnai by Cheng Ai.
Two days of presentations and runway shows
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Parking Gallery remained the heart of NEW'26 with a packed schedule: Graphic Design and Interior Design student project presentations at different times throughout the day, and three daily runway sessions featuring the Fashion Design collections (don't miss the virtual lookbook). A creative marathon that brought hundreds of family members, friends, faculty, students, alumni, representatives from institutions, companies, and media, and external visitors to campus, all eager to enjoy the #MadeInLCI talent.
The Festival of New Ideas closes its first edition having exceeded all expectations, with the certainty of having been far more than a final project showcase. Congratulations to our students, to the entire faculty, and to the team that made NEW'26 possible!
