The 15th edition of MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas will feature an exciting new collaboration between Fiere di Parma S.p.A. & MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas and Superstudio Events Srl, with support from FUJIFILM. Together, they are launching an international call for submissions centered around the theme "Metamorphosis, from clothing to skin: DIFFERENTLY ME." The competition is open to students aged 18 to 28 from photography, communication, design, and fashion schools across Europe.
Highlighting the most promising emerging talents and helping them take their first steps into the professional world aligns perfectly with the vision of both MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas and Superstudio. Both organizations are committed to exploring new horizons and looking toward the future. This represents a shared commitment to discovering new creative and cultural perspectives, in collaboration with the best schools in the sector, which serve as true incubators for tomorrow's professionals.
For the first time, young photographers will have the opportunity to present themselves on a prestigious international stage: the most important fine-art photography fair hosted at Milan's most renowned event venue. For this inaugural edition, the SPA – Superstudio Photo Award is dedicated to Oliviero Toscani, the legendary photographer who recently passed away. The award was created to honor his genius, his freedom of expression, and his revolutionary vision of photography, particularly in the field of fashion, but not exclusively.
Toscani was able, like few others, to read and anticipate the transformations of contemporary society. With this award, Superstudio pays tribute not only to Oliviero Toscani's legacy but also to the personal and professional bond he shared with founders Flavio Lucchini and Gisella Borioli, who created the Fashion Image City in 1983. The Superstudio Photo Award aims to be a bridge between past and future, inspiring young creatives to aim for new goals and surpass themselves.
One year after Toscani's passing, the award offers an opportunity to connect with his spirit by continuing his free, bold, and always contemporary vision. Each year, the award will honor a different Master of Photography. The winners will have the opportunity to exhibit their works free of charge in the award exhibition organized during MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas, from March 19 to 22, 2026, with an invitation-only preview on March 18.
At the fair's conclusion, one of the winning photographers will be selected by visitors and the technical jury to undertake a personalized professional photo shoot, completely free of charge, with support from Superstudio Set & Ephoto and participation from experienced professionals in the renowned studios of Superstudio 13, Via Forcella in Milan. The award also includes a PPM (Pre-Production Meeting), a preparatory session where the winner will present their project and production needs, following the steps of a real professional photo shoot. FUJIFILM will provide professional photography equipment on loan for the session.
The Superstudio Photo Award 2026 highlights contemporary notions of identity, aesthetic freedom, and self-representation within fashion, beauty, and style photography. The call invites young photographers to explore how images can today express personal values, desires, and visions, in an era where traditional conventions have dissolved. How do young people today tell their own stories? What visual codes emerge from a freedom of expression freed from established rules? These are the profound questions posed by the Award, as an invitation to creativity and an opportunity for introspection, encouraging authentic and courageous reflection on one's own artistic journey.
The rewards for the first edition of the SUPERSTUDIO PHOTO AWARD include free participation for a maximum of ten finalists in the exhibition organized in a dedicated space at the Milan fair, as part of MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas, from March 19 to 22, 2026, with an invitation-only preview on March 18 at SUPERSTUDIOPIÙ, Via Tortona 27, Milan. One of the ten finalists will receive an additional final prize, awarded jointly by exhibition visitors and the technical jury: the opportunity to conduct a free professional photo shoot at SUPERSTUDIO 13, Via Forcella 13, Milan, in collaboration with Superstudio Set & Ephoto.
The prize also includes a PPM (Pre-Production Meeting), a preliminary session where the winner will present their project and production needs, following the steps of a professional photo shoot. FUJIFILM will provide professional photography equipment on loan for the session. The evaluations of finalist artists and final jury decisions are definitive and may be rendered without specific explanation, both for work admission and award attribution. Participants waive any right to contest the criteria or choices made by MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas, SUPERSTUDIO, or the juries. Applications are open until December 15, with the event taking place in Milan, Italy from November 1 to December 15, 2025.
