Ioana Nicole Babici is a young fashion designer from IM Milano Fashion and the winner of the 2024 edition of the prestigious Milano Moda Graduate, a contest promoted by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana CNMI that celebrates the excellence of Italian fashion schools at a national and international level.

Ioana’s winning project, “Balancing Act”, is a collection that masterfully captures the dual nature of existence: rigidity and freedom, order and chaos. Drawing inspiration from modernist sculpture and the anti-art movement of Dada, Ioana crafted garments that oscillate between structured 1940s silhouettes and the fluid abstraction of ‘90s avant-garde fashion. The collection’s fabrics played a key role in this narrative, with some pieces using rigid, architectural materials while others embraced freedom and movement with flowing textiles. The neutral color scheme, punctuated by fabric manipulations, further emphasized the contrast between minimalism and the rebellious spirit of Dada​.

Originally from Bucharest, Romania, Ioana is a graduate from the Fashion Design & Accessories Bachelor's course at Istituto Marangoni Milano Fashion school. Her talent has already been recognised in prestigious competitions, including the Kotra Contest 2023, where she emerged as the winner, and the Voci Future Prize Massimo Dutti 2024, where she was a semi-finalist​.