Kam Dylan, a student of the Master in Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni Firenze, has won the Silver Award in the Rising Design Stars – Fashion Portfolio category at the 2026 French Fashion Awards.

The award committee officially announced the result, highlighting the design quality, originality, and creative maturity of the submitted portfolio, selected from applications coming from more than 25 countries worldwide.

An international benchmark competition
The French Fashion Awards are an international competition that promotes excellence in contemporary design. The award is open to both emerging talents and established professionals, recognising projects that stand out for innovation, technical expertise, and relevance within the fashion system and across different areas of fashion design.

The Rising Design Stars category
The Rising Design Stars category celebrates emerging talents in the field, highlighting the innovative perspectives and new visions brought by students and young designers who are helping redefine the language of fashion and its future evolution.

“The Rebel Queen” – The awarded project

The collection explores the figure of Maharani Jindan Kaur (MJK), regent of the Sikh Empire, bringing to light her strength, political resilience, and role in resisting British colonial rule.
Through an aesthetic grounded in the concept of understated luxury, the project evokes the cultural heritage and treasures connected to her reign, many of which were taken away after the Anglo-Sikh wars.

The work offers a contemporary reflection on identity, historical memory, and cultural appropriation, giving visibility to narratives often marginalised yet central to the current global debate on diversity and migration.

An international recognition
The jury of the French Fashion Awards selected the winning projects through a blind evaluation process, recognising The Rebel Queen for its ability to stand out in terms of:
• conceptual clarity
• historical and cultural research
• material mastery
• visual and narrative coherence

According to the organisation, the 2026 winners represent a generation of designers capable of combining creativity with design rigour, laying solid foundations for a professional future in the international fashion landscape.

A result that highlights emerging talent
The award received by Kam Dylan is an important acknowledgement of her commitment and the quality of her work. Istituto Marangoni Firenze is proud to support students who, like Kam, are able to distinguish themselves through personal research and a contemporary understanding of the industry’s dynamics.

This achievement also reflects the contribution of our faculty, who—through their expertise, dedication, and attentive guidance—support students throughout their educational journey, helping them develop a strong design vision and grow towards significant international milestones.

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The Rebel Queen Project by Kam Dylan • Istituto Marangoni Firenze Student