"Freak show", creativity and innovation at the 15th edition of the SAPU Diploma Show | Cracow Fashion Week - KSA

An intensive time of fashion week is behind us. It is the fifteenth time that the capital of Malopolska boasts its own event that does not differ from the world level of such events. Cracow Fashion Week is one of the largest fashion events in Poland, which has already gained an international reputation.

Fashion on the catwalk, in pictures and in words

Every March, we have the immense pleasure of seeing fashion on numerous catwalks. We can discuss it with specialists, comment on it, experience it and watch it in photographs taken by enthusiasts of this art form. The event, organised by the School of Fashion Design, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, took place from 17 to 26 March. In addition to exciting fashion shows, the programme included exhibition openings, open masterclasses, free workshops, a book launch and many other attractions.

Fot. Gabi Gruszka

Fashion shows

The Cracow Fashion Week traditionally started with the SAPU Diploma Show – the Cracow Fashion Awards. This year, it took place on 17 March at the Open Source Conference Centre at 23 Życzkowskiego Street in Krakow. On the catwalk, we saw 49 diploma collections, which are a summary of 2.5 years of study at SAPU. The jury deliberating at the Premiere selected 15 exceptional collections, which we saw at the Cracow Fashion Awards Gala.

The winner of the 15th edition of the CFA was Julia Korzeniowska, who received the highest marks from the Fashion Council. Her surreal collection ‚Freak Show’, inspired by a 19th century freak circus, uses unconventional materials and is complemented by original accessories. The designer also received accolades for her graduation collection from Bielenda, Teekanne and FabLab. The Media Council, headed by Michał Zaczyński, awarded its prize to Aleksandra Baran. Other designers honoured included Kristina Netcal, Gabriela Kaznowska, Kinga Palider, Weronika Rymut, Gerald Gabriel Garrovillas, Angelika Witek, Kinga Źrałka, Filip Pękal, Martyna Marciniak and Meseret Lemeche.

Jury

The graduates’ graduation collections from SAPU were judged by a jury of fashion and media personalities, including. Bin Chen (Donghua University, China), Anna Jatczak (fashion designer), Maria Cristina Rigano (International Couture, Italy), Lidia Popiel (photographer), Michał Zaczyński (fashion critic), Marcin Świderek (Elle), Aleksandra Rodrigas (Editor-in-Chief Selin Magazine, Holandia), Elena Ciuprina (fashion illustrator), Anna Szczygieł (designer and winner of the Polish Talent Support competition) and Livia Tenuta (Milan University of Technology Design Faculty). SAPU’s debuting designers received exceptional prizes in the form of internships, publications, photo shoots, video campaigns and invitations to shows.

The CFA Final Gala also featured guest collections by Laura Filip, Justyna Gamoń-Wesołowska, Klaudia Klimas, Aneta Larysa Knap, Wioletta Podsiadlik, Nargiz Salwa, Anna Szczygieł and Wu Yutong (Donghua University).

The following day, also at Open Source, there was a fashion show by Italian designers. Italian Design Day 2024: Making Sense – The New Italian Fashion was organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in Krakow, co-organiser of CFW 2024. This year’s shows also included the Slow Fashion Cafe Show, Fashion Week Kids at Galeria Kazimierz and the No Waste Show.

Fot. Gabi Gruszka, Maciej Strzępek

Masterclasses and workshops

This year, the invited guests who conducted masterclasses and workshops included Marcin Świderek, Elena Ciuprina, Magdalena Kęskiewicz, Michał Zaczyński, Igor Kovacevic, Maria Cristina Rigano and Livia Tenuta from Italy. Lectures open to the general public are a regular feature of the CFW programme.

Exhibition openings

Cracow Fashion Week is also a nod to photography. The opening of the international fashion photography exhibition ‚Focus on Fashion’ took place at the Provincial Public Library. The exhibition featured photographs by photographers from Poland, Italy, Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Sudan, Bolivia, Serbia, Great Britain, Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic. Photographs by winners of the Polish Talent Support competition are also on display. The exhibition is organised by the School of Creative Photography, which was ranked among the Top Photography Schools in the World.

In addition, the programme of this year’s CFW included exhibitions: „More & More”, „Digital Fashion Clo3D”, an exhibition on the 30th anniversary of SAPU „emocJA”, organised together with Leonardo Boutique Krakow City Center, „30 years of SAPU paintings and drawings” in the Dworek Białoprądnicki Cultural Centre and „SAPU IN PICS” in the Kazimierz Gallery.

Fot. Monika Podolska

Other accompanying events included an international Polish sewing championship, a construction night and the preview of the book ‚Fratelli. A Real Italian Family’, whose partners were: Italian Cultural Institute in Krakow and Znak Publishing House.

Cracow Fashion Week 2024 concluded with a unique No Waste Show. This year, young designers from the first year of SAPU were to demonstrate a modern approach to the theme of ecology and upcycling. In turn, second-year students were tasked with designing two silhouettes inspired by the Japanese art of sashiko and boro embroidery. The catwalk also featured Maciej Nodzeński’s designs awarded in the Dafi & Operacja Czysta Rzeka – ‚ON THE WAVE OF CHANGE’ competition, of which SAPU was a Partner, as well as guest collections by By Vel, I’m Fashion, Mix Models, Ewa Chojnacka, Kristina Netcal, Shabman Uzeyirbayli, Meseret Lemeche and Paulina Gładka.

Fot. Tomasz Kotowicz

Krakow has once again proven that it is fully deservedly on the list of ‚Top Fashion Capitals’.

We already invite you to the next edition of Cracow Fashion Week, which will take place in March 2025!

Official hashtags: #SAPUkrakow #SAPUdiploma #CFWkrakow #cracowfashionweek.

 

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Organisers of the 2024 Cracow Fashion Awards: School of Fashion Design SAPU, Cracow School of Art and Fashion Design, School of Creative Photography, School of Choreography, School of Visual Merchandising, Italian Cultural Institute in Krakow, Reklamex Agency

Main Partner Cracow Fashion Week 2024: City of Krakow, Art to the Thing

PROJECT CO-FINANCED BY THE CITY OF KRAKOW

Organising Partners Cracow Fashion Week 2024: Dworek Białoprądnicki Cultural Centre, Klub Studio, Provincial Public Library in Krakow, PARTNER Group, Open Source, G2A Arena, Koneser

Content Partners of Cracow Fashion Week 2024: Responsible Fashion Podcast, Dr. Andrzej Kowal Psychiatry and Art Association, Outsider Art Research Station

Strategic Partners of Cracow Fashion Week 2024: LPP, Galeria Kazimierz, Hotel Niebieski, Leonardo Boutique Hotels, B&B Hotels, Strima

Cracow Fashion Week 2024 Partners: Slow Fashion Cafe, Ewa Zbaraszewska, Aneta Larysa Knap Folk Design, Fashion Night, Curyło Project, Bielenda, Skoda PHU Edward Bulawa, Dafi, Poliarte, Italian Design Day, Znak Koncept, Donghua University, Nadwiślański Fashion Week, Wrocław Fashion Week, Potocki Palace, KBF, All In UJ, TEEKANNE, Fablab Małopolska, Fundacja Inteligentna Małopolska, Black Cliff, Fundacja Centrum Fotografii, Let Me Italian You, BGD Photo Month, Urban Photo Awards, Trieste Photo Days, BBZ Polska, Cotton Rose, By Vel, Polish Talent Support

Media Patrons of Cracow Fashion Week 2024: Selin Magazine, Fashion Business, Moda w Polsce, OCZY.MAG, Fashion TV, Anywhere, For Her, michalzaczynski.com, Play Kraków, Exclusive Mag, RMF MAXX, Dziennik Polski, TVP 3 Kraków, Open Media PR, The Spoiled Queen, I-REGION, M jak Małopolska, Radio 1.7, MalopolskaOnline, dlaStudent.pl, pomaturze.pl, Londynek.net, Student News, Design Book, TUBA