This story appears in i-D 376, “The Lore Issue.” Get your copy of the print magazine here.
photography EWEN SPENCER
styling CLARE BYRNE
written by ALEX KESSLER
This season, the fashion industry took a multibillion-pound bet on creativity by debuting new designers at 16 different brands. So, did The Designer Class of 2026 pass with flying colours? Or does it need to retake its A-Levels? While the fashion industry chat is still debating (and the actual sales data is rolling in), we asked 15 graduating students from The Manchester College to take some of our favourite debut collections from The Class of 2026 for a test drive.
Keira Morton, 18
I’m from… I’m Vietnamese-British. I study… Fashion. When I grow up, I want to be… A fashion designer. The most radical person I know is… Me. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Moving out of my parents’ house. I face fear by… Facing it head-on. Chin up! Something no one would guess about me is… I have overcome a lot, but still smile. My hope for the future is… To show my designs on the runway.Someone I admire is… My mum for her drive.
Keira, wearing Dior, asks Jonathan Anderson… How has your creative process evolved over time?
Jonathan says… Fashion is a dialogue with culture. I’m always looking at art, craft, history—not to quote them literally, but to question what they mean today. I like putting contradictions together: the precious and the banal, the traditional and the hypermodern. My creative process is essentially curatorial. I select references, distort them, and create a narrative around them. The collections become the final chapter of that story.
Mia Thomas, 17
I’m from… England. I study… Fashion and design. When I grow up, I want to be… A fashion or art director. The most radical person I know is… My whole family. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Stepping out of my comfort zone and learning how to appreciate my appearance. I face fear by… Telling myself that fears stop me from achieving. Something no one would guess about me is… I love heavy metal. My hope for the future is… Success in fashion. Someone I admire is… Anyone who has the guts to dream big.
Mia, wearing Loewe, asks Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez… Does your creativity come from your passion?
Jack and Lazaro say… Creativity is something fluid and magmatic. It’s not easy to grasp it with words. It happens—you just find yourself caught in the creative act. Emotions and passions are essential, but so are experiences and the opinions one forms throughout life. The first burst of our creativity is intuitive, passionate, at times even chaotic. We shape it through experience, judgment, and work.
Matthew Powell, 18
I’m from… Manchester. I study… Musical theatre. When I grow up, I want to be… A screen performer. The most radical person I know is… Trisha Paytas. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Cutting people off. I face fear by… Challenging it. Something no one would guess about me is… I’m a secret shopper. My hope for the future is… To have a successful performing or influencer career. Someone I admire is… KATSEYE or Sabrina Carpenter.
Matthew, wearing Jean Paul Gaultier, asks Duran Lantink… How can I push creative boundaries?
Duran says… Follow your instincts and don’t let people with restrictive opinions get in the way of your creativity. It’s also important to stay curious about things you might not like.
Zenti Lopes, 18
I’m from… Lisbon. I study… Fashion design. When I grow up, I want to be… A financially stable artist. The most radical person I know is… My bestie Roxi.The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Starting my course with no GCSE Art. I showed up to my interview with a sketchbook and got accepted, though!I face fear by… Yearning hard. Something no one would guess about me is… I’m a big animal and nature lover—springtime is my favourite season.My hope for the future is… To get accepted into CSM! It’s my dream. Someone I admire is… My talented and amazing friends.
Zenti, wearing Maison Margiela, asks Glenn Martens… How do you stay motivated when mental health and procrastination get in the way?
Glenn says… It’s a mix of creativity and rationality. On my mother’s side, they were all people in the army, so having a plan A, B, and C is very important. While guiding teams, it is important to give them a feeling of consistency and to show them that you respect their work—and that the journey is a collaborative decision.
Queency Pombor, 17
I’m from… Sierra Leone.I study… Fashion. When I grow up, I want to be… A designer. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Starting a crochet brand. I face fear by… I just do it! Something no one would guess about me is… I have a small crochet business. My hope for the future is… To make my brand worldwide.
Queency, wearing Balenciaga, asks Pierpaolo Piccioli… This dress has such interesting construction—did you want to invoke a certain posture or movement while a person wears it?
Pierpaolo says… I was thinking a lot about how a garment can quietly change the way someone inhabits their body. I wasn’t interested in forcing posture, but in creating a kind of gentle awareness—something you feel rather than notice. The embroidery was essential to this; it’s part of the construction, almost like a quiet architecture inside the dress, subtly guiding the fabric and your body together.
Oliver Payne, 17
I’m from… Macclesfield. I study…stu Fashion. When I grow up, I want to be… A creative director at a fashion house. The most radical person I know is… Vivienne Westwood. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Stepping onto the set of a magazine shoot as a runner. I face fear by… Taking deep breaths and writing my feelings down. Something no one would guess about me is… I’ve trained with the Royal Ballet. My hope for the future is… To secure an internship and work myself up to becoming a creative director. Someone I admire is… Alexander McQueen.
Oliver, wearing Celine, asks Michael Rider… How do you push boundaries and change the industry?
Michael says… If you try to stay true to yourself and your intuition, you inevitably push against boundaries and make change.
Hadia Bazidwal, 18
I’m from… Afghanistan. I study… Photography. When I grow up, I want to be… A professional photographer. The most radical person I know is… Myself. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Choosing to be seen instead of hiding. I face fear by… Using it as energy. Remember that the opportunity chose you for a reason. Something no one would guess about me is… My nationality. And the fact that I have a twin. My hope for the future is… To make my family proud. Someone I admire is… Myself.
Hadia, wearing Proenza Schouler, asks Rachel Scott… What is the meaning behind this dress?
Rachel says… It’s about tension—between softness and strength, control and ease. It reflects the nuances of women’s daily lives: complex, self-authored, shaped by history but not confined by it. There’s vulnerability, but also resolve and room for chance.
Shanaya Morgan, 17
I’m from… the Caribbean. I study… Creative media and motion design.When I grow up, I want to be… An animation artist. The most radical person I know is… My mother. She taught me everything I know. And Michael Jackson. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Going on a trip to Rome. It was my first time on a plane. Pretty scary. I face fear by… Facing it head-on, after taking a moment to compose myself. My hope for the future is… To become a professional animator and sell unique art. Someone I admire is… Aaron Blaise and Jaiden Dittfach.
Shanaya, wearing Proenza Schouler, asks Rachel Scott… What’s the hardest look you’ve designed?
Rachel says… Designing for a woman I don’t yet understand is the most difficult. The real task is discovering her daily life, motivations, and intentions—and it’s through that process that the challenge becomes exciting
Michael Chaddock, 18
I’m from… England. I study… DJing. When I grow up, I want to be… A vocalist and DJ. The most radical person I know is… Me. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken is… Moving to Manchester. I face fear by… I don’t have any. Something no one would guess about me is… My music taste. My hope for the future is… Success. Someone I admire is… Rob Zombie. And my dad.
Michael, wearing Bottega Veneta, asks Louise Trotter… Can creativity go so far that it stops functioning as art?
Louise says… My personal view is that creativity in all forms is limitless and has no boundaries, in self-expression or collective problem-solving. I think it’s impossible to set a limit on artistic expression.
casting FRANZISKA BACHOFEN-ECHT FOR JE SUIS CASTING AT MINI TITLE
photography assistant NIALL BURNS
styling assistants CHARLOTTE FOLEY & MILLIE CULLUM
hair AMIDAT GIWA USING ORIBE HAIR CARE at BRYANT ARTISTS
makeup CLAIRE URQUHART using CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ AT JULIAN WATSON AGENCY
makeup assistant ALICE SWINDELLS
production CORAL PRODUCTION
producer ELLIS LOFTUS
production manager PERRY JOHNSON
production assistant AXELLE DOMMART-TERRANEO
location THE MANCHESTER COLLEGE