When art and fashion meet, they create stories worth telling — and wearing. The collaboration between Promising Young Guys and the Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA) led to a unique contest where second-year students in Graphic Design (Graphic Design and Comics & Illustration tracks) transformed their artistic vision into original graphics, turned into Limited Edition artist t-shirts.
Three winners. Three original works. Only 50 pieces for each creation. A project that goes beyond academic practice — it’s a real-world experience: thinking, designing, engaging with the world, and giving tangible form to one’s visual language.
This is more than just a collection.
It’s the outcome of stories, journeys, and identities.
Discover the winners, their stories, and wear their creations.
My name is Maria Furlotti, and I was born in Rome. I have always found art to be my natural language, even though I attended a classical high school. Literature and classical art continue to inspire me, and I seek to integrate them into my work. I love experimenting between traditional drawing, digital drawing, and writing. I prefer a style made of saturated colors, stylized forms, and strong symbolic elements. Each of my projects is born from a personal exploration that transforms into an image.
I’M ALL GROWN UP NOW. — Breaking out of your cage
With “I’M ALL GROWN UP NOW.” Maria represents the moment when one realizes that the space where they grew up is no longer enough. The bird — a Sagittarius serpentarius — struggles to free itself from an intangible cage, a metaphor for the inner limits that often imprison us. This t-shirt tells of the strength needed to recognize and overcome those boundaries, transforming the discomfort of growing up into awareness. Wearing it is an invitation to carry your journey of rebirth with you.
My name is Leo Artin Boschin, I was born in Rome in 2004 and grew up between Italy and the United States. After attending a classical high school, I found my path in graphic design at RUFA, where I can finally express my creativity. I love drawing by hand, starting from paper and then developing my projects digitally. For me, drawing is a personal process, a way to give shape to my thoughts.
ORIGIN — The beginning that holds every possibility
“ORIGIN” was inspired by a drawing Leo made in high school: an egg, a symbol of enclosed potential. It is the point where everything is yet to happen, but every possibility already exists. The work represents the moment of maximum creative tension, just before everything takes shape. Wearing this t-shirt means carrying the awareness that every new beginning holds infinite possibilities waiting to emerge.
I am Francesco D’Acunto, and for me, design is above all an emotional language. I love creating projects that are born from personal experiences and become universal messages. Through an essential style, I try to convey emotions directly, without ever losing the depth of what I want to tell.
KEEP IT — Preserve what makes us real
“KEEP IT” was born from a personal moment of instability in Francesco’s life. The work represents falling and feeling lost, but also the strength of those who manage to hold on to what truly matters. The stylized figure, without a defined identity, represents anyone going through a difficult time. The heart in the hand symbolizes what must be protected, even in the most complex periods. This t-shirt is a visual reminder: wherever life takes you, never lose what makes you authentic.
