WUNDERKAMMER
Welcome to the Wunderkammer, a German term meaning "cabinet of wonders," collections of diverse and often surprising objects in a room designed to amaze visitors.
A typical 16th century phenomenon, with roots in the Middle Ages, it evolved throughout the 17th century, nurtured by Baroque grandeur. It then flourished in the 18th century, fueled by Enlightenment interest in scientific curiosities. In a way, the Wunderkammer can be considered the first step in the evolution of the concept of the museum.
The Wunderkammer at ITS Arcademy currently hosts “Borderless”, the exhibition dedicated to the winning projects of ITS Contest 2025. As you discovered at the start of your visit, ITS Contest is the international fashion competition launched in 2002, which allows us to discover the best new talents. Through this competition, the ITS Collection houses the debut work of designers who are shaping the fashion industry today, like Demna, Creative Director at Balenciaga, or Matthieu Blazy, at the helm of Maison Chanel.
RISE AND SHINE
Presentations by the winners of the latest edition each include a piece from the collections they entered in the competition.
You can delve deeper into each project by reading the panels and scanning the QR codes dotted along the exhibition route. In addition, you will have certainly noticed the drawer unit at the center of the room. Each drawer is dedicated to one of the 10 designers, and contains samples of materials from their collections for you to look at and handle, adding sensorial information to what you see. We want to provide you with as comprehensive an overview as possible of what is on display. It will help you vote for your favourite project using the voting form given to you at the start of the visit. The public is invited to cast their vote for the ITS Public’s Choice Award, a €5,000 prize that will be awarded to the winner in January 2027, after the close of the exhibition.
A quick introduction to each project, should you not have time to read the full explanation, to help you decide on your favourite. Let’s go counterclockwise, starting from the first art piece on your left, when facing the entrance of the Wunderkammer.
JAMIE O'GRADY
You are looking at British designer Jamie O’Grady, with his footwear project entitled “Subtraction”. It reinvents footwear via modular, adhesive-free sneakers inspired by celebrated industrial designer Dieter Rams who produced countless iconic designs for Braun, also inspiring Apple design. Jamie, following Rams’ 10 fundamental principles of design, combines sustainability, minimalism, and functionality.
ANNA MARIA VESCOVI
The next project on the left is by American designer Anna Maria Vescovi. Her project is entitled “Requiem” and revives 19th-century Opéra Garnier costume jewelry through Sicilian textile traditions, pairing intricate hand embroidery with theatrical irony by envisioning a Sicilian grandmother, a “nonna”, stealing precious iconography from a local church.
WILLIAM PALMER
Moving on, British designer William Palmer presents “The Breadwinner”, a playful critique of British masculinity where childhood pranks and symbolic accessories highlight vulnerability and challenge rigid social and financial ideals which are often cause for stress and anxiety.
DARIUS BETSCHART
The next project is by French designer Darius Betschart. Entitled “Bakken” it fuses Copenhagen’s skate and techno subcultures with political reflection, blending striking aesthetics with a commentary on capitalism, media, and cultural circulation using also medieval references to underline how history repeats itself.
WENJI WU
Next is Chinese designer Wenji Wu, with his project entitled “Night Terrors” which draws inspiration from Carl Jung’s Red Book. This autobiographical knitwear collection explores childhood nightmares and Jungian dualities, transforming monsters - like the one you are looking at, depicted on the sweater - and guardian figures into expressive knitwear.
STAN PEETERS
Moving on, Belgian designer Stan Peeters presents “The Body is a Pavillion” which turns clothing into architectural, wearable sculptures including 3D-printed accessories, blending natural and industrial materials into intimate, sculptural silhouettes.
CHLOË RENERS
The next look is again from a Belgian designer. Chloë Reners investigates Surrealist portrayals of women, looking to artist George Underwood as her primary source of inspiration. Chloë questions society’s female beauty ideals through magical realism and fragmented symbolic forms.
TIDJANE TALL
Let’s now look at the next project, with Ivorian designer Tidjane Tall. In his work entitled “Resonance in the Room” he reinterprets his grandfather’s legacy at La Boule Noire, an iconic 1970s Ivory Coast club, crafting sculptural garments where hair, embroidery, and accessories tell personal and cultural stories.
YI DING
From Tidjane we move to Chinese designer Yi Ding, who in her work “Faded Paper” rethinks traditional Chinese paper-cutting via 3D jacquard knitwear, celebrating women’s independence and the breaking of patriarchal constraints.
STEVEN CHEVALLIER
Finally, the last project before deciding who you’d like to vote for the award is by French designer Steven Chevallier. His project is entitled “Out Rage” and channels social activism and queer history into garments inspired by struggles for freedom and the defense of marginalized communities, in a contemporary society that has, awkwardly enough, brought them into question once again.
ITS PUBLIC’S CHOICE AWARD
Well, we hope we have provided you with useful information to help you choose your favourite project from the ten winners we’ve presented! We can now move on from the Wunderkammer to the Archive, but you’ll still be able to return here at the end of the visit to further explore the projects before casting your vote if you wish.
Let’s head towards the last stop of our tour, along the short corridor ahead of you, to reach what is essentially the vault of ITS Arcademy, the place where much of the archive is preserved.